South Africa: Transforming How the State Uses Its Property Portfolio to Drive Growth and Jobs, Under DA-Led Public Works & Infrastructure, Expected in SONA 2026

9 February 2026
Democratic Alliance (Cape Town)
press release By Bonginkosi Madikizela MP

The Democratic Alliance (DA) expects the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) to feature prominently in this year's State of the Nation Address, as it continues its work to save South Africa R6 billion by ending wasteful private building leases, ensuring government departments use state-owned buildings instead.

The DA welcomes that under DA Minister Dean Macpherson, the DPWI has been doing important work, often unseen, to capacitate and ready the department to modernise how state-owned land and buildings are managed, and to reduce and consolidate the R6 billion in wasteful private leases, to bring this money back into state coffers, and invest in its own asset portfolio.

For decades, public assets worth hundreds of billions have been locked into outdated and counterproductive systems that have slowed infrastructure and service delivery, weakened financial sustainability, and denied communities the social and economic value these assets should generate. This year, under DA Minister Dean Macpherson, South Africa will turn the corner.

The DA looks forward to a massive impact coming from this change, putting billions of rands to use for delivery and progress for all people, rather than spending on wasteful leases.

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The Minister is committed to ensuring that non-core assets are disposed of while high-value assets are packaged for investment and redevelopment.

The DA expects SONA 2026 to emphasise that beyond the regeneration of our inner cities, the DA-run Ministry will redevelop and modernise underutilised military bases in metropolitan areas, turning them into engines of jobs and inclusive housing.

We also expect SONA to reflect on the floods that have devastatingly swept through parts of our country, highlighting the need for a more resilient built environment that is future-proof and the DA recognizes with gratitude that the DPWI under Minister Macpherson will address this by ensuring that every new building, harbour, house, development, precinct, and public facility is designed for long-term resilience and sustainability.

In short, the DA expects stunning victories in the Public Works and Infrastructure space to feature in this year's SONA.

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