Gauteng plans infrastructure jobs drive

Johannesburg - Health and education will be the focus of Gauteng's infrastructure development programme to create jobs, the provincial government said on Monday.

Infrastructure development MEC Bheki Nkosi said there was a lot of ageing infrastructure in the province, of which Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital was a prime example.

"Baragwanath needs a big injection," he told reporters in Johannesburg.

"We are doing our best to bring its infrastructure to functional level. It is a process that is already under way, with the reception and casualty areas already revamped and at a world class level."

The provincial department of infrastructure, which falls under the umbrella of the Expanded Public Works Programme, drives job creation in the province.

Nkosi said this was happening largely through skills development and giving young people work experience.

The province aims to create 500 000 jobs that would improve the skills of workers, giving them a shot at entering the private sector.

The department has already embarked on an extensive infrastructure renewal programme in all provincial hospitals.

It included upgrading laundries, individual wards, electricity reticulation and forensic services. Other projects in the pipeline focus on the youth.

Nkosi said 121 small to medium enterprise contractors would benefit from the contractor incubation programme.

"We are also giving specific attention to the procurement processes within the department, to ensure the irregular expenditure incurred by the department in the 2009/10 and 2010/11 financial years are further minimised," he said.