Cape Town - Trevor Manuel yesterday signalled strong growth in infrastructure investment by both the public and the private sector over the next three years, reaching R121.8 billion, or 6.6 percent of gross domestic product, by 2007/08.
Major new projects on the cards included:
- Completion of the Port of Ngqura;
- The Berg River water scheme in the Western Cape and more development of the Olifants River and Groot Letaba River dam systems in Mpumalanga;
- Recommissioning of the Camden, Komati and Grootvlei power plants and upgrading the Matimba plant;
- The construction of a hydroelectric pumped storage scheme at Braamhoek and two coastal gas turbine plants;
- Investment of about R27 billion in electricity transmission and distribution networks over the next five years;
- Building of a demonstration plant - the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Company;
- Transnet's R4.9 billion locomotive and wagon fleet renewal and modernisation programme;
- Upgrading the Coallink line to Richards Bay and the Sishen-Saldanha link;
- A new coal container terminal for Durban and port capacity expansion in Cape Town, Richards Bay and Saldanha; and
- The building of a multipurpose Durban-Johannesburg-Pretoria fuel product pipeline.
In addition, the municipal infrastructure grant would total R21.2 billion over the next three years to eradicate apartheid-era backlogs in township roads, water, community centres and the like.
These projects would use labour-intensive construction methods through the expanded public works programme.
The provincial infrastructure grant would be R13.2 billion for roads, schools and clinics.
Transnet expected to spend about R30 billion on its economic infrastructure while Eskom would spend R56 billion.
The Budget Review said although the delivery of infrastructure had slowed in 2004/05, more projects were expected to come on stream over the next three years.