The presidency said the decision was made at the inaugural meeting of the council of the commission, chaired by Ramaphosa.

It included cabinet ministers, provincial premiers, mayors and the South African Local Government Association in a bid to ensure integration of infrastructure projects, which are a cornerstone of the government's hopes to rebuild the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

“Extraordinary measures are required to return us to a path of sustainable growth. Central to this effort is infrastructure construction and maintenance, which is the flywheel for economic growth and large-scale job creation,” he said.

“Our experience has been that infrastructure can only be sustainable if there is cooperation and partnership between all three spheres of government and if there is a common intent,” Ramaphosa said.

The council of the commission will designate strategic infrastructure projects and coordinate the implementation of the government's national infrastructure plan. It must also identify strategic partners for projects.

"In keeping with this mandate, the Council agreed [on Thursday] to expedite the implementation of projects in prioritised sectors such as human settlements, transport, energy, water and sanitation, agriculture and agro-processing, and digital infrastructure," the presidency said.

It stressed that the council will drive a new approach to these projects, which includes preventing corruption and tender fraud, placing emphasis on local procurement and employment, as well as greater community involvement.

Earlier this week, public works minister Patricia de Lille gazetted 50 critical infrastructure projects involving water, electricity and transport that she said would create up to a quarter of a million jobs.

National Treasury expects the impact of the global health crisis to see the South African economy contract by 7.2 percent this year and to shed up to 1.6 million jobs.

African News Agency