Hammanskraal is the epicentre of the cholera outbreak after the death toll rose to 32 by Friday, with 29 deaths in Gauteng and one each in Free State and Mpumalanga, according to reports.
Kaplan said the maintenance of social infrastructure was problematic.
“The most persistent problem is the underfunded public service institutions which lack technical skills. There is also the absence of a regulatory and policy framework, and a lack of accountability in the public services. It is a problem that has been going on since 2006 and has been getting worse,” said Kaplan.
Kaplan said SAICE has published infrastructure report cards since 2006 and gave South Africa the lowest ratings on record in its 2022 report.
In 2022, SAICE maintained the grades of B or C for heavy freight rail and airports. However, social infrastructure went backwards with a D- for the national bulk water resources infrastructure system, including dams.
Sanitation in urban areas received a C- and an E was scored for sanitation in other areas, while waste management in major urban areas scored a C-.
SAICE found a decline in the quality of wastewater treatment, citing the dropping of standards in 2022 due to slackened regulatory supervision, while the quality and reliability of water supply systems continued to decline in small towns and rural areas.
LISTEN | 'We are sorry,' Ramaphosa tells Hammanskraal after cholera outbreak
Hammanskraal crisis typical example of SA's crumbling infrastructure: SAICE president
Image: Veli Nhlapo
South Africa is continuing to grapple with deteriorating social infrastructure, said Steven Kaplan, president of the South African Institute of Civil Engineering (SAICE) on Friday.
Social infrastructure is focused on meeting basic needs, including sanitation, drinking water, hospitals, schools and public transport. However, it has been in decline over the past 17 years, said Kaplan at the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies Directors event in Johannesburg on Friday.
“The social infrastructure is where the problem is, like drinking water, sanitation, the hospitals, schools and public transport. Look at what is going on in Hammanskraal right now. It is a typical example of how infrastructure has failed, it has gone from a D to an E, meaning it is no longer fit for purpose,” said on Friday.
Ignoring 2011 report has cost government R3bn more to fix Hammanskraal water problems
Hammanskraal is the epicentre of the cholera outbreak after the death toll rose to 32 by Friday, with 29 deaths in Gauteng and one each in Free State and Mpumalanga, according to reports.
Kaplan said the maintenance of social infrastructure was problematic.
“The most persistent problem is the underfunded public service institutions which lack technical skills. There is also the absence of a regulatory and policy framework, and a lack of accountability in the public services. It is a problem that has been going on since 2006 and has been getting worse,” said Kaplan.
Kaplan said SAICE has published infrastructure report cards since 2006 and gave South Africa the lowest ratings on record in its 2022 report.
In 2022, SAICE maintained the grades of B or C for heavy freight rail and airports. However, social infrastructure went backwards with a D- for the national bulk water resources infrastructure system, including dams.
Sanitation in urban areas received a C- and an E was scored for sanitation in other areas, while waste management in major urban areas scored a C-.
SAICE found a decline in the quality of wastewater treatment, citing the dropping of standards in 2022 due to slackened regulatory supervision, while the quality and reliability of water supply systems continued to decline in small towns and rural areas.
LISTEN | 'We are sorry,' Ramaphosa tells Hammanskraal after cholera outbreak
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