Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Thursday deliver the keynote address at the two-day Public Works and Infrastructure Minister and MECs (MinMEC) sitting, scheduled to take place at the Eastcape Training College in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. The Deputy President will attend the sitting at the invitation of the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson. He is expected to address the occasion on “the significance of infrastructure service delivery in driving the economy and creating much needed jobs.”
The MinMEC is a government forum chaired by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, and includes the Deputy Minister of Public Works, Sihle Zikalala, as well as Members of the Provincial Executive Councils (MECs) of Public Works and Infrastructure of all the nine provinces. Its strategic focus is to reflect on the priorities of the department, mitigate the risks and evaluate progress on all the priority areas, while using public assets for the public good and contributing meaningfully to economic development and job creation.
The forum also provides a platform for strategic dialogue, knowledge exchange and policy alignment. The MinMEC proceedings will be preceded by an oversight visit to the Umoyilanga Energy Project, an innovative energy security infrastructure that combines solar photovoltaic with wind and battery energy storage system (BESS) technologies. Upon completion, Umoyilanga will offer reliable dispatchable renewable power to the national grid.
This unique combination of wind and solar resources with battery energy storage system, enables Umoyilanga to provide 75 MW reliable energy to the national grid. “Government continues to upgrade and construct public infrastructure such as water supply facilities, energy, schools and health clinics to improve the living standards, restore dignity of the people as well as foster social cohesion and national unity.” the Presidency said.
