Department of Public Works and Infrastructure minister Patricia de Lille delivered the keynote address. “Women in SA need to be given the opportunity to participate meaningfully, including in the construction industry.
“They are capable and can achieve anything they set out to achieve,” she said.
De Lille congratulated all the winners and saluted all contestants for their bravery and perseverance in a particularly male-dominated industry. “There are two words that we need to remove from our vocabulary: I can’t,” she said, adding that every woman can certainly do anything that they wish to do.
De Lille conceded there is still much to be done in the area of women’s empowerment. She revealed supply management has already provided input to National Treasury with regard to procurement regulations where the department is advocating for setting aside contracts for women at the level of a main contract rather than only in the 30% mandated subcontracting award. This, she said, was where the department was planning to move women into a higher cidb grade.
Historically, just 20% of government construction tenders are awarded to female-owned entities. The hope, however, is that with more projects on the horizon as a result of SA’s drive to kickstart the economy with an infrastructure investment drive, that substantial business development is within reach for women-owned entities.
In his opening address, cidb CEO Cyril Gamede said, “When a little more than a year ago, the possibility of these awards was first discussed, it seemed like an ambitious project. We certainly could not have predicted that we would bravely launch these awards under the most unusual of circumstances.”
The ERWIC Awards aim to fulfil and implement an integrated strategy for the reconstruction, growth and development of the overall construction industry. “Key to this strategy has always been the critical target group of women, and in particular our women-owned construction entities.”
The awards aim to recognise female-owned entities, mentors and promoters of women in construction.
Project Delivery Excellence of the Year — Woman-owned Construction Entity
Rural Project of the Year
Mentoring Entity of the Year
Transformation Entity of the Year
Youth-owned Woman Contractor of the Year
Woman-owned Contractor of the Year
Woman Mentor of the Year
Woman with Disability Contractor of the Year
The Chairman’s Award, which aims to recognise an outstanding woman or woman-owned entity within the construction industry who has contributed significantly to the development and transformation of women in the South African construction industry, posthumously went to Dr Thandi Ndlovu. Before she died a year ago, Ndlovu’s construction company, Motheo Construction Group, had built homes for more than 80,000 people.