Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, will sign memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with three municipalities to improve infrastructure delivery at local government level.

The signing will take place in Pretoria today.

This follows a decision taken at the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Council -- chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa -- to embark on this pilot project in three local municipalities. 

This ‘Adopt-a-Municipality’ initiative, which will be rolled out nationwide, will see Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) work with municipalities to introduce rapid infrastructure interventions aimed at improving the implementation and delivery of infrastructure projects.

“The objective is to address cost overruns, poor workmanship and inadequate planning that have often plagued municipal infrastructure initiatives,” the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure said in a statement.

The MOUs will be signed with Metsimaholo Local Municipality in the Free State, uMngeni Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal and Govan Mbeki Local Municipality in Mpumalanga.

“These municipalities will receive targeted support as part of the first phase of the project,” the department said. –