Dr Thandi Ndlovu elected to SAFCEC council

Dr Thandi Ndlovu

The appointment “bears testimony to both the transformational role that Motheo Construction Group continues to play within the industry, and the esteem in which it is held by its major players,” Dr Ndlovu commented.

She was a founding member of South African Women in Construction in the early 1990s, established Motheo Construction Group in 1997, and in 2013 won the Businesswoman of the Year Award in the Entrepreneurs category, as awarded by the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa.

Dr Ndlovu said her long association with SAFCEC extended to her role as president of the Black Business Council for the Built Environment (BBCBE) in 2012, when both SAFCEC and the BBCBE began engaging the construction industry about the so-called Voluntary Rebuilding Programme (VRP) or Settlement Agreement, concluded finally with the government in October this year.

This commits the seven listed South African construction companies to collectively invest R1.5bn over the next 12 years into the Tirisano Trust, which will be overseen by SAFCEC, in conjunction with a board of trustees appointed by the government.

Restoring trust in the construction industry

The Settlement Agreement was a ‘blueprint’ for restoring the government’s trust in the construction industry. “I am confident that the document, flawed as it is, will allow us to work together to effect truly transformational and empowering policies within our companies,” Dr Ndlovu commented.

This will result in a ‘window of opportunity’ whereby the government will begin to release its major infrastructure spend. “The Settlement Agreement talks a lot about reinstating ethics and integrity in the industry. It talks to corruption, which is another reason why projects have been delayed, due to corruption in the procurement process. My view is that, with the implementation of the Settlement Agreement, we will see a reversal.”

Dr Ndlovu added that SAFCEC continued to play a critical role in the South African construction industry. “We hardly acknowledge it for that. I think the current structure, including its leadership and constitution, has changed dramatically. We do not give due recognition to the fact that its specific provisions to include black people is a huge step.”

Commenting on the impact that her appointment to the SAFCEC council would have on Motheo Construction Group, Dr Ndlovu said: “It will accelerate our own continued transformation as a truly empowered, all-encompassing, black-owned construction company, commanding the respect of the industry, and leading the way forward.”