Opinion

A "Report card" of South Africa's engineering infrastructure

Sam Amod and Kevin Wall

SA Civil engineers publish their report card on the country's infrastructure

SAICE, the South African Institution of Civil Engineering recently published an "infrastructure report card", setting out the profession's opinion on where maintenance and replacement are most needed, such as where infrastructure is ageing or approaching obsolescence, or where maintenance has been neglected. Members of SAICE are the professionals responsible for the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of South Africa's engineering infrastructure.

According to the report, the condition of our nation's drinking water systems, sanitation, roads, airports, ports, electricity reticulation, hospitals and clinics is on average only an unsatisfactory "D+". Much of the infrastructure is failing to deliver satisfactory service, and there is an urgent need for repair and replacement they say.

However this average grade hides huge variations in the condition and performance of the infrastructure in each sector. Water quality, for example, is very good in the metropolitan areas (notwithstanding problems of ensuring reliable water supply at all times, and often very high water losses) - but water quality in many of the more rural areas, including small towns, is frequently unacceptable.

The report card describes the implications of grading the infrastructure, and then assigns grades to each of the infrastructure sectors. These range from "B" (major airports and heavy haul freight rail lines) through to "E" (sanitation and wastewater in areas other than the major urban areas, and low-volume low priority rail lines). Future report cards will show trends in these grades - towards excellence or towards breakdown.

The timing of the report card is appropriate, given concerns expressed by engineering professionals, and given recent observations by Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka and the Minister of Finance regarding the maintenance of South Africa's infrastructure assets, and the approval by Cabinet of a National Infrastructure Maintenance Strategy.

This first report surveyed public sector infrastructure and while not commenting on the legacy of Apartheid which resulted in an imbalanced infrastructure distribution, SAICE acknowledges the huge strides since 1994 towards correcting this imbalance. Drinking water, sanitation, energy, transportation access have received focused attention, and, acting on its mandate, the government they say continues to invest at rapid pace in infrastructure for disadvantaged communities. SAICE however cautions that while the pace of construction of new facilities should not slow down, not enough attention is being paid to maintaining these once built and also on the maintenance of existing infrastructure.

The information upon which the gradings are based has been sourced from documents in the public domain, and from SAICE members in each of the sectors. The available research was consolidated into the report card format. The result was moderated by a panel of experts and the final grades allocated. A grade of C is fair or satisfactory, or let's say fit for purpose, but only just. A grading on the one side of C reflects an unsatisfactory state while on the other side of C, the infrastructure provides good service. On the upside, remedial action can shift a D to a C while a B can easily shift below C with a short period of neglect.

Two key issues are raised, sector after sector. The first is the extreme shortage of skills and the impact this is having on care of infrastructure. The second is the lack of adequate funding for maintenance.

It is imperative that we do not continue to build only to permit decay. Neither can we continue the culture of 'patch and pray' that typifies too many of our maintenance activities. We need adequate budgets and maintenance management plans for existing and new additions to the infrastructure asset base".

Maintenance delayed for one year could cost three to six times more. We cannot afford this premium. To extend the 'patch and pray' metaphor, a 'stitch in time saves nine'.

While more funding is needed for maintenance, many owners of infrastructure ignore that it is within their power to make huge cost savings simply by fixing broken infrastructure. In our view, this is irresponsible. By way of a simple example: in many areas, more than three quarters of the water that is put into the distribution system leaks out of it. Several authorities have realised this, are making investments in water infrastructure repair and refurbishment - and are recouping the cost within months. Many more infrastructure owners need to follow this lead.

Whereas constructing a facility employs people for a year or two, maintaining that facility is a job for life. Furthermore, maintenance is often suitable for labour-intensive employment or for undertaking by small business enterprises.

Engineering skills, from professionals through to technicians and artisans, are in short supply. Many public sector institutions, each responsible for tens of millions of rand of infrastructure, have little or no in-house engineering expertise. A survey we did showed that more than one-third of all local municipalities did not have a single civil engineer, technologist or technician.

While the link between engineering infrastructure and economic growth may be clear, it is not always clear that a similar link exists with social health. If we consider for a moment though, it becomes obvious that cleaner drinking water, proper sanitation, better shelter, access to transport and electricity, improve the quality of life. Indeed, our research indicates that, in general, developing countries have more doctors than engineers, whereas the opposite is true in developed countries. The reason is clear: engineers prevent disease and sickness. It is of concern that South Africa has only half as many engineers as doctors.

The answers to many issues posed in the report are neither simple nor easy. All the more reason for the public to be better informed about the serious decisions that must be taken about our infrastructure and, where appropriate, to pressure the authorities into a change of behaviour.

More information:

  Mr Amod is the current President of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE). Dr Wall is a Past President.

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