The government should consider establishing an asset management database to keep track of its water and electricity infrastructure. This could boost maintenance issues that are at the core of service delivery constraints to communities.
This is according to Pragma, an engineering company that provides enterprise asset management solutions for asset-intensive industries. It cited the lack of infrastructure maintenance as among the causes of load-shedding, which has crippled many sectors.
Pragma chief revenue officer Bani Kgosana said while there were detailed policies in place to ensure the continued maintenance of state-owned assets, some processes make the execution difficult. “People who are given the responsibility to take care of these assets know what they need to do. The knowledge is there, the intent is there, but sometimes procurement processes make it slow and difficult.”
Kgosana said municipalities needed to understand that their core business was to ensure water, electricity and road infrastructure was available to the public to successfully generate income. “It shouldn't even be a question whether these assets are maintained, because that should be at the centre of what municipalities do... it shouldn't be an afterthought. It's important to prioritise it, because as much as things won't stop working a few months after they were due for maintenance, skipping it presents bigger problems in the future,” he said.
It shouldn't even be a question whether these assets are maintained, because that should be at the centre of what municipalities do... it shouldn't be an afterthought. It's important to prioritise it, because as much as things won't stop working a few months after they were due for maintenance, skipping it presents bigger problems in the future
From government buildings and rail networks, to water and electricity facilities, South Africa is faced with a significant backlog across multiple sectors, which is expected to cost billions of rands and take years to address.
In his State of the Nation Address in July, President Cyril Ramaphosa committed to increasing the scale of investment in infrastructure, saying the government had “a clear intention to turn our country into a construction site, as roads, bridges, houses, schools, hospitals and clinics are built, as broadband fibre is laid, and as new power lines are installed”.
In Johannesburg alone, City Power has reported a R44bn infrastructure backlog to refurbish and replace its ageing assets, while its water provision company, Joburg Water, needs R26bn to maintain, fix and replace its ailing water systems. Joburg mayor Dada Morero, formerly the city’s finance MMC, announced a R4.2bn capital allocation to City Power for infrastructure projects, and R18.3bn operational budget to Joburg Water.
Kgosana said the government needed to put in place measures that compel municipalities, provinces and national departments to maintain a database of all their infrastructure. This way, it would be easier to understand the state of this infrastructure. “If you look at just how many transformers there are in the City of Johannesburg alone, and the number of water pipes, you realise just how huge the responsibility is. This is not data you can keep on a spreadsheet. Government needs a system that can keep data and will be updated regularly.”
Among its services, Pragma offers a system that allows for the identification of assets, which helps improve the performance of assets. According to the company, its On Key Enterprise Asset Management System is already being used extensively by the private sector.
Kgosana said implementing this strategy would not only allow for better-scheduled maintenance for facilities but would also create employment. “Putting these assets on a register could require people to physically go find their exact locations and confirm that the information the municipality has is accurate. It could [also] help deal with youth unemployment in many parts of the country.”
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