PPC MD’S BOLD VISION TO TRANSFORM AFRICA’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND SPARK GROWTH
New ways must be found for creating a built environment that empowers ordinary people and contributes to growth and job creation, said Njombo Lekula MD, PPC RSA Cement and Materials. The answer is a transformative partnership between government, the private sector and the community, he argued.
Lekula was addressing a plenary session at the African Construction and Totally Concrete Expos on Wednesday 12 June 2019 at Gallagher Convention Centre.
“South Africa has a housing backlog of around 2.3 million houses, and it’s growing at a rate of 178 000 a year. The same picture is repeated in countries across the continent. Clearly, neither the public nor the private sector on their own have a handle on this problem – we need a new approach,” he said. “If government and the private sector collaborate and bring in the community, we can build the houses we need while also creating much-needed jobs.”
The first principle of his plan is that quality cannot be compromised. The basic infrastructure of the house has to be solid as it cannot later be replaced. Cement makes up only around 8% of the materials used in the typical RDP house, but it is essential to building a structure that lasts.
“The bulk of a house – all the fittings and finishings – can be replaced, but if the basic structure is unsound, you haven’t given the recipient the security of a lasting, fixed asset,” he said. “It’s vital that we commit to using only the highest quality cement if we are to achieve our goal of providing solid houses for our people. That means avoiding the lure of inferior blended and imported products, even though they might be cheaper.”
A second principle is to be open to using alternative building materials and technologies (ABT/ ABM). For example, Envirocrete panels can reduce the cost of a 40 m2 RDP house by 16%, as compared with traditional construction methods. The panels themselves have excellent structural stability, durability, energy efficiency and can be erected quickly.
“A commitment to quality where it matters and openness to innovation are important elements of the proposed solution, but the real magic comes when you create a partnership between the public and private sectors and the community itself,” he argued. “By making the responsibility for delivering houses a collective effort, we harness the hunger for work that is at boiling point.”
His vision is to employ housing recipients to undertake some of the construction work themselves, primarily by teaching them how to make the bricks that will be used to build their homes. Once the house was completed, the individual could be employed to use the acquired skills to make the pavers for the road infrastructure that the new houses will require. Going forward, entrepreneurial individuals could leverage their new skills to create micro-enterprises serving the township.
“Once people have decent houses, they begin investing in their property – why not keep that money within the local community?” he said. “If we think laterally and work effectively together, we can create the kind of built environment that is the foundation of a prosperous and, above all, inclusive economy and society.”
More information from ww.ppc.co.za
