Report on Hiv/Aids and the Construction Industry

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Meeting report

060311pcpworks

PUBLIC WORKS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
11 June 2003

HIV/AIDS AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY REPORT: DISCUSSION

Chairperson :
Chief ME Hlengwa

Documents handed out:
HIV/AIDS Workshop in the Construction Industry

SUMMARY

The Committee was presented with a report back on the Conference that took place in Durban in November 2002. The Chairperson discussed the recommendations regarding the HIV/AIDS Workshop, especially the recommendations referred to in the Report which concluded that many people were dying of AIDS related issues. Government institutions needed to position themselves as leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It was suggested that creating partnerships could be an important way forward to fight the epidemic.

MINUTES
It was recommended that the Committee should create a forum for a dialogue with other stakeholders to ensure that their efforts were not lost. Such a forum could include all the departments that deliver infrastructure such as the Department of Water Affairs, Transport, Housing and others. With the expanded public works programme the Committee had to influence the Construction Industry Development Board through public works to make it compulsory for all government infrastructure projects to have an HIV/AIDS strategy. In this endeavour, it was important that the Department of Public Works took the leadership role in coordinating the process."

It was noted that the Department was not present at this meeting.

Discussion
Mr Chikane (ANC) stated that there was definitely a need for co-ordination, however, he felt that the Department of Health should take the lead. The Department of Health had the facilities regarding strategies to permeate all Departments.

Mr Sigwela (ANC) pointed out that unskilled labour was usually the highest number of recruited persons in the Construction Industry and that the project must include rural areas as covered by the Department of Works. He gave an example that where a road was built from Cape Town to Paarl, the project would essentially have to recruit and impact on all the people along the route. There was a migration of skilled workers outwards towards the rural areas and there were personal needs that had to be met by such people. The question was broached that one must consider who influences whom in this situation. It was noted that the Construction Industry was the third largest employer and was the Industry most affected by HIV/AIDS.

Mr Sigwela said that the Department of Public Works had to sensitise themselves to programmes and problems regarding HIV/AIDS. It was those people who came into the rural areas that brought the disease to that particular area. In light of this skilled people, local people as well as traditional leaders and local councillors needed to target these groups with HIV/AIDS education programmes. Accordingly, not only the Department of Public Works should be involved in this aspect, but also the Department of Health should work within this sphere.

Ms Nwamitwa-Shilubana (ANC) agreed with the recommendations as reported but felt that the Department of Public Works must create a forum for dialogue with the Department of Health. It was just a question of where and when? Something needed to be initiated which the Department could monitor and then the situation could be assessed.

Mr Magubane (ANC) stated that meetings should be arranged with Committees and all should deliberate how to distribute information regarding HIV/AIDS. He believed that the Department of Health would fail to do this on its own.

Mr Opperman (DA) re-iterated the fact that the programme was specifically for the Construction Industry and even though co-ordination was important, he felt that the time for dialogue was now past and action was needed fast as people were dying.

Mr Sigwela (ANC) advised that workshops were already operational in the Construction Industry in the Eastern Cape. He posed the question of what the Department of Public Works had done already regarding the Construction Industry and HIV/AIDS. Was there a committee on the ground and was work being done? The Department needed to find out what programmes were under foot.

Ms Nwamitwa-Shilubane (ANC) suggested that there now be a timeframe implemented to start on the suggestions already made.

Ms Seeco (UCDP) agreed that the Department of Public Works should start and that the report under discussion may already be too late as the Workshop was already held six months previously. There was an urgent need to start now.

Mr Magubane (ANC) said that it was important that the Department of Public Works carry on with their HIV/AIDS programme but in association and together with other Committees in order to see that the same thing was done at the same time and in a different place.

Mr Sigwela (ANC) said that follow up had to be done on what had taken place to date and the Department should use every opportunity. He reminded the Committee that there was only two more weeks until recess and it would be important to know what programmes were on the ground. He requested that a meeting be held regarding what had been done collectively at various Departments. Once this meeting had taken place then the Members could go back to their constituencies to monitor what was happening in their area. Once this was established then the Committee could decide which direction to take arising from the knowledge of what was taking place on the ground and circulate a letter to this effect.

Mr Opperman (DA) asked the Chair if a decision had been taken that every new tender must have an HIV/AIDS programme in place. Had this actually been implemented?

The Chair was not sure if the Department of Public Works had started this. He agreed with all Members' observation. He felt that that the Construction Industry Development Board and the Industrial Development Trust and the Department of Public Works should discuss the matter and then meet with other Departments and present this position. This should be done before recess. Essentially it would be seen as a brainstorm session.

Finally the Committee discussed an invitation to a conference on Project Management but no decision was made as to whether or not any Members would attend this conference.

The meeting was adjourned.

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