Gautrain Report - Skills development for Infrastructure

Massive infrastructural projects already undertaken provide insight into the changing and dynamic nature of the changing priorities of government over time. While the objectives remain relevant, the extent and manner in which they are realised becomes particularly important for effective learning to take place.

The MEC of finance at the time provides insight into the national import of the projects despite its provincial location: Gautrain is a turnkey project that will not only change the face of Gauteng but also increase the Province’s competitive edge. It is a flagship public transport project of national significance that will result in the transformation of public transport. It will further contribute to the meeting the objectives of Government such as BBBEE, SMME development, empowerment of women, job creation, economic development and promotion of business
tourism.

The project was therefore located as key to national social and economic development and a signal of what South Africa was capable as a ‘world class’ city able to respond to an international agenda for competitiveness. Whether this translated into real developmental outcomes, has however, still to be assessed. With regard to skills development, the skills developed over the course of construction and maintenance have been utilised, but its sustainable use is subject to question. The fact that further development of the project cannot happen outside the framework of a comprehensive transport and spatial development plan is clearly to be lauded, but one is left wondering whether construction ought to have happened before the development of the plan. It was built at the time of immense jubilation and nostalgia in a country overwhelmed by staging of the first ever football World Cup in Africa. The developmental impact has, nevertheless, still to be evaluated.