​Lerato Mailoane
Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development and Property Management, Tasneem Motara says COVID-19 pandemic has caused some delays in meeting delivery deadline for infrastructure projects in the province.​​​​
"Our projects were halted by the pandemic and the subsequent nation-wide lockdown. Due to delays, projects may potentially run over the prescribed time of delivery, with significant cost overruns," said Motara.
COVID-19 pandemic had a significant social and economic impact that goes beyond the public health system, the Gauteng Provincial Government formulated its COVID-19 Response Plan and department implemented measures to ensure continuity in the planning, design and delivery of infrastructure.
Motara said the impact of the national state of disaster and the nation-wide lockdown resulted in a need to review departmental plans, to ensure that plans responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued service delivery in the 2020/21 financial year.
To fast-track infrastructure project delays caused by the pandemic, the department established COVID-19 Steering Committee in compliance with the Department of Public Service  and Administration Circular 15 of 2020, whose focus is on implementing measures to mitigate the spread of the virus, while sustaining the service delivery commitments of the department. 
Construction sites had to be closed under level 5, however, construction services for COVID-19 health projects had to continue. Beyond level 5 other construction projects resumed, with broad economic impacts on suppliers.
MEC Motara said: "We have to look at other ways to generate revenue for government so we can meet our infrastructure needs. We have to reduce our dependence on the fiscas". 
She further noted that lockdown affected the supply of material with the completion of healthcare projects. 
She said infrastructure projects being fast-tracked included healthcare facilities which are at the heart of what government is doing especially in the face of COVID-19.
"For us, it's important that communities get what they deserve in terms of infrastructure to support social services," she said.