Western Cape MEC for Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, has called on national government to urgently review the restrictions on the private construction sector, in an effort to avoid a total national collapse.
He visited an industrial park development in Brackenfell that was only 58% completed when construction was halted due to the coronavirus crisis.
Two major companies providing essential services in the retail and pharmaceutical sectors, will use the building once it is completed.
Maynier says opening the private construction sector is critical to saving over 100 000 jobs as well as billions of rand in income.
“I have written a letter to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, requesting that construction be allowed to expand operations beyond public sector engineering and construction. It is estimated that the impact on the construction sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic could cost the Western Cape about R14.9 billion of income,”explains Maynier.
In the video below, CEO of SA Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors, Webster Mfebe, urged the government to allow the construction sector to resume work.
