The delays by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED) to complete the third phase of the Bio Park project in Tshwane are hindering manufacturing businesses from expanding and creating employment opportunities.
The DA Gauteng requests that MEC Maile appear before the Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Economic Development to explain the project’s delay and provide an update on when construction will resume and be completed. MEC Maile must provide a detailed report on this project.
This project was initiated in February 2019: a manufacturing wing designed to provide businesses with a space to manufacture their products. The project was meant to be completed in September 2024.
According to MEC Lebogang Maile, the Professional Resource Team (PRT) suspended work on this project on 4 July 2024 due to months of unpaid work and a lack of fee adjustment approvals. The contractor suspended work on 8 August 2024, citing a lack of progress and unresolved issues.
Failure to complete this project will force manufacturing investors out of the province, ultimately stalling efforts to decrease the high unemployment rate in Gauteng.
With over 2.5 million unemployed residents, it’s high time that Premier Panyaza Lesufi intervene to complete this project to create a conducive environment for manufacturers who will, in turn, provide employment opportunities.
During a recent oversight inspection by the Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng of this Bio Park project, we found no contractors on site, and we were told that the cranes would be removed soon.
See the video here and the photos here, here, here and here.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would implement stringent measures to ensure that contractors appointed are indeed capable of completing projects on time and within budget. In addition, we will ensure that the PRT includes officials with the necessary expertise to manage and track infrastructure projects.