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Our President Dr. Vishal Haripersad delivered a powerful keynote address at the 4th Built Environment Professionalisation Workshop, held on 16 March 2026 at the Civic Centre in Cape Town. 

Speaking to senior officials from the City of Cape Town, the Council for the Built Environment, government departments, industry leaders and academics, alongside CEO Chris Campbell, Dr Haripersad highlighted our commitment to advocating for professional excellence and sustainable infrastructure delivery.

In his address, Dr. Haripersad underscored the urgent need for professionalisation in the public sector to address South Africa’s infrastructure maintenance crisis. He highlighted that infrastructure failures often stem from systemic issues, weak institutions, sidelined expertise, and decisions lacking technical insight, rather than just physical breakdowns. Drawing from a personal anecdote about a rural bridge project and an elderly woman’s poignant question, “Who will fix this when you are gone?,” he emphasised the importance of long-term accountability, capable institutions, and ethical leadership. 

Key points included South Africa’s severe engineering skills shortage, where over 60,000 professionals are needed, the dangers of price-only procurement, the erosion of public trust due to corruption and poor governance, and the necessity for engineers to secure a meaningful seat at decision-making tables.  

The workshop brought together these representatives to discuss strengthening public sector capability, improving infrastructure planning, maintenance, and resilience, particularly in light of recent climate events and backlogs in sectors like water, where R400 billion is needed, and state properties, which has a current R30 billion maintenance gap. Attendance was strong, with engaged discussions reinforcing the value of such platforms in fostering collaboration between government, industry, and built environment professionals. 

By framing the discussion around the four pillars of accountability, i.e. capability, value, integrity and a seat at the decision-making table, the challenges faced daily by our member firms, were heard by the very people who set policy and award contracts. To watch an outtake of his full speech, Click Here.