Programme director
Delegates from our sister countries in the Southern African Development Community
Federation of International Football Association Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Danny Jordaan and LOC officials
Board and executives of the Cross Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA)
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
All protocol duly observed
Good morning! Dumelang! Abusheni!! Macheroni! Sanibonani! Goeiemore! And Molweni!
I would like at the outset to express my profound thanks for inviting me to officiate at this important three day Indaba. I would also like to welcome all our guests, especially from our neighbouring states to this Indaba and to the province of Gauteng. Notably I must also convey our appreciation and thanks to the Cross Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA) for their initiative in organising this important event.
Over the coming three days, it is important to reflect on the significance of October as Transport Month on the South African calendar. It is a significant month for us operating within the transport sector for the simple reason that transport resides at the core of our economic development within our country, and is a catalyst towards the realisation of the much-yearned objectives of achieving regional economic integration and market liberalisation within the member states of SADC. Emphasis is on effective service delivery in accordance with the government mandate.
The 2009 October month is also even more significant, given the targets we have set ourselves as the southern African community to stage an excellent and seamless Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, against the background of the successful hosting of the FIFA Confederation Cup in June this year.
Programme director, as a nation, we can be very proud of the track record in staging important international events in various sports codes, including rugby, cricket and soccer. It is also pleasing that considerable preparatory work has been achieved to date in various facets towards the coming FIFA soccer tournament in June 2010. One of the transport projects that have been launched is the Jo’burg Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. A starter operation was launched end of August 2009 and it is projected that a full phase one will be operational during the world cup tournament. Working together we can achieve even more.
Despite the aforesaid, South Africa still has many challenges in terms of the road safety record. As we are due to enter into the festive season in the coming two months, we stand at the precipice of facing challenges of safety on our roads. The statistics on our road safety over the past months, although marginally improving, it is still a cause for concern to government of our country and us in Transport.
According to statistical projections, Africa’s road deaths stands at over 200 000 fatalities each year, and the figure is predicted to rise by 80 percent by year 2020, unless something drastic is done and the main responsibility lies not entirely with government but also with the road users, the motorists and pedestrians and passengers. The statistics further paint a gloomy picture, which says by 2015 road crashes will be the number one killer of children aged between five and 14 years in Africa, thus outstripping malaria and HIV and AIDS pandemic.
If one looks globally, at least 3 400 people die every day on the world’s roads while walking, cycling or driving. South Africa certainly contributes to these fatality figures. We therefore have the duty as a nation to transform and turn-around this scourge and making roads safer, not only during the festive or holidays seasons, but during the entire year. The national programmes such as the Arrive Alive campaign, which the national Department of Transport unveiled over the past years, can yield positive results in reducing the frightening road fatalities.
Mr Programme Director, let me talk specifically about the Transport Month and its activities. The Minister of Transport, Honourable Sibusiso Ndebele, formally launched the Transport Month two weeks ago at Johannesburg Park Station, one of the biggest and busiest transport inter-modal transfer and transit stations – which is a few kilometres from where we are gathered. The theme for the Transport Month is ‘Sisonke Asiphephe’. It is therefore important that we all rally behind this chosen theme.
As you embark on this three day Transport Indaba, I would like to wish you every success with your deliberations, to mark the Transport Month. I have been informed that as part of the programme for the three days, delegates will be breaking up into working groups to deal with specific matters affecting cross border road transport operations. I wish to stress the importance of arriving at the most effective ways of accelerating service delivery in terms of cross border issues as affecting our transport operators.
The three days will also be a reflection on what we did well and what we did wrong, and thus formulating a programme of correcting the wrong and consolidating on the good things we have done in the past. Programme director, allow me to pose this question to the working groups to ponder during their deliberations: What should be done to ease cross border movement of spectators during the soccer World Cup, taking cognisance of the fact that this is an African World Cup event?
Furthermore, I hope the last day of this Indaba, which will deal specifically with our readiness for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the different facets will be beneficial to our SADC counterparts. I hope you will be able to take home a message of goodwill as we expect lots of spectators from Africa. Programme director, it is also fitting to thank our delegates from our SADC sister countries for their attendance. We are looking forward to learning from one another on how to improve our transport systems in the SADC region and to bench mark with you on the nuggets of successes achieved in any of our neighbouring states for us, as South Africans, to emulate.
Programme director, please allow me to use this opportunity to indicate that my department is a member and has been participating in the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) and its African wing, the Africa Association of Public Transport (UATP). A transport association that promotes good world class practices in public transport such as sustainable transport systems. It is time for Africa to take its rightful stance on the matters of transport, especially in promoting sustainable transport.
The UITP and UATP launched its Southern and Eastern Africa Liaison office in Johannesburg in April 2009 and I’m proud to announce that my department is the host of the liaison office. I will therefore encourage members of the SADC to use the opportunities presented by this association.
I therefore declare the Indaba duly opened. Africa ke Nako
I thank you!
Issued by: Department of Roads and Transport, Gauteng Provincial Government
15 October 2009
Source: Department of Roads and Transport, Gauteng Provincial Government
(http://www.gdace.gpg.gov.za/)
