Honourable Speaker
Honourable Premier
Members of the legislature
Members of the Executive Council
Executive Mayors, Mayors and leaders of our local municipalities
Director-General and Heads of Departments
Our esteemed Majesties and Royal Highnesses
Provincial Secretary of the ANC, cde Soviet Lekganyane
Stalwarts and veterans of our struggle
Leaders of Chapter Nine and Ten Institutions
Leadership of various religious formations and traditional leaders
Chairperson and members of the Operating Licensing Board
Staff of the Gateway Airports Authority Limited
The law enforcement agencies: Traffic Police, Special Investigations Unit
South African Police Services
Board of Road Agency Limpopo and staff
Transnet Freight Rail, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa
Intersite Property Development
Provincial Taxi Council, driving schools, the Limpopo Chapter of South African
Women in Transport
Chairperson and members of Small Bus Operators Association
Distinguished guests, friends and comrades
Members of the media
The people of Limpopo
Thobela
Honourable Speaker,
Let me start by expressing my utmost appreciation to my predecessor, MEC Pinky Kekana, for the solid foundation she has laid in our department as well as the visionary leadership she has provided.
This budget speech coincides with the centenary celebration of Africa’s oldest liberation movement, the African National Congress (ANC), founded as the South African Native National Congress. We can claim without any fear of contradiction that the freedom that our people enjoy today is through the toil of the brave men and women of this peoples’ and glorious movement.
Since its formation in that holy building in Bloemfontein, the ANC dedicated its existence to the unification of all South Africans and continually fights for the protection of human rights and the rejection of all forms of discrimination. As we celebrate its centenary, the ANC still has on its priority list, a better life for all. Though facing many challenges the ANC has, through its dedicated and selfless cadres emerged victorious.
As we march with our heads held high towards the new centenary the ANC, working with all progressive forces, faces a huge task of ensuring that our people get nothing but the best service. Since the watershed victory in 1994, our people have been entrusting their lives with the ANC knowing very well that it is only this movement, founded with the blessings of our own Magoshi, Sekhukhune, Mokopane, Makgoba, Malebogo, Ngungunyane and Makhado that can deliver them out of what the President of the country referred to in his State of the Nation Address as the “Triple Challenge” – i.e. poverty, unemployment and inequality.
Honourable Speaker,
The mantra of this provincial Administration has always been that “together, we can do more”. I am positive that, together with the National Intervention team, we can do just that. We welcome our colleagues from national and, working together as a team, our efforts are already paying dividends. There is objective proof of our province’s ongoing progress.
For all the chattering around the well-stocked dinner tables of the chattering classes, the country and our province in particular is progressing in more areas than it is regressing. This is the one province where two new cities since the dawn of democracy will be built. I'm referring to the eventuality of Greater Tubatse and Lephalale, which are our growth points.
Improving transport infrastructure
This Administration has rehabilitated roads and constructed new roads and bridges that connect communities with economic centres in the province. We believe that roads are not only about the seamless movement of vehicles, but also about the convenience of our people reaching their destinations on time. For us, transport is about seamless movement of goods and people. It is about infrastructure that makes any modern-day economy function, as it links and inter-links our people with markets and thus create opportunities.
We do not boast when we say that we are a caring government. This we have demonstrated with the construction of the Mankele Bridge in Sekhukhune, as stated by the Honourable Premier in his State of the Province Address. We could not continue to be idle when our people were subjected to the life-threatening makeshift cable – the Segwaigwai. We had to act and act we did. Today the Mankele area is home to the province’s first steel bridge under democracy.
The opening of the Fondwe and Thathe bridges also provide tangible proof of a government hard at work. The key issues for focus and attention is no longer policy and debates but more about implementation and making a real difference. We know the conditions our people are subjected to, hence we have zoomed into areas of great concern to resolve their daily struggles.
Honorable Speaker,
Making the economy function
Infrastructure backlogs are a hurdle to forging sustainable development in the province. We have begun implementing plans for Lephalale and Steelpoort, by rehabilitating the R33 and upgrading Road D1392. When complete, the R33 (N11 – Modimolle and Mabatlane) would have cost us approximately R750 million. The future of Lephalale is held by this road.
In his State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma, highlighted plans to develop and integrate rail, road and water infrastructure, centred around Waterberg and Steelpoort. Together, we will unlock the mineral belt in these areas through the construction of a road and rail network that will connect the areas with the ports and economic hubs of our country. Our task now is to roll up our sleeves and direct all our energies to the task at hand so as to totally unlock the economic output of our province.
Poverty Alleviation: Improving the lives of the rural poor
The Honourable Premier emphasized our commitment to job creation. In Roads and Transport, the primary objectives of the Community Based Routine Maintenance Programme are employment creation and poverty alleviation through the execution of routine maintenance activities (grass cutting, cleaning of drainage structures, etc.).
The target for the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) was 23 976 job opportunities to be created by the end of this financial year, with a total expenditure to date of approximately R450 million. We are proud to state that 36 013 job opportunities were created by the end of the third quarter of this financial year.
We have far exceeded the 19 307 job opportunities created in the 2010/11 financial year at a cost of R390,962 million. The tangible proof lies in the fact that the EPWP programme is now a leading contributor to job creation. We have clearly come a long way since 2009, when this programme was still in its infancy and only 1 283 job opportunities were created at a cost of R31,794 million.
We remain steadfast in our goal to create a better life for all. Even our detractors will admit that we have made a difference. We will continue to do so even in the face of challenges. The current economic climate dictates that it will take approximately 72 years to upgrade all gravel roads in the province to tar. Even if we are not around to witness this achievement, we will ensure that we do witness the progress towards it.
Accolades – through hard work
Without blowing our own trumpet, the progress has not gone unnoticed. In October last year, the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport was judged the most productive department in the country by Productivity SA at the National Productivity Awards. We have continued with our award-winning streak into this year, where we reaped the following awards at the 2012 Premier’s Service Excellence Awards:
- Gold in the field of Expanded Public Works Programme
- Gold in the field of Provincial Law Enforcement.
Honourable Speaker,
The Province currently has about 22 298 kilometres of roads out of which about 7145 km is tarred. Almost 68% of the total province road network is untarred. This clearly shows that the majority of the citizens of Limpopo currently rely on gravel roads to access health facilities, schools and other public amenities as well as centres of economic activities within the province. Gravel roads tend to create a limitation to developments within communities, increase travelling times and as well as vehicle operational and maintenance costs.
It is for these reasons that gravel roads that cannot currently be tarred, given the limited resources are improved through re-gravelling and constant blading in order to ease the movement of our people.
With the current annual allocation of approximately R800 million, it will take over 70 years to tar the entire provincial road network. So far, with the annual budget at its disposal, Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) has only been able to tar just over 120km annually. This is how bad the picture looks in terms of development in our province.
The National Department of Transport initiated the S’Hamba Sonke Programme (moving together) which intends to bring about a turnaround strategy for Provinces to achieve a more cost-efficient and cost-effective management of South Africa`s road network. It is through this Strategy that Limpopo will be able to benchmark value for money in road construction and maintenance budgets, as well as ensuring best practice methodologies that create new jobs where people live.
This Strategy further seeks to develop and maintain provincial roads (secondary) network as well as improve access to social amenities and at the same time, to place the rural economy on a labour absorptive path.
The budget for provincial road maintenance is R1.1 billion. As per the Road Management System results, the department requires an annual maintenance budget of R1.2 billion per year and R5.9 billion over the next 5 years. This clearly shows a shortfall of R869 million for 2012/13.
During the 2012/13 financial year, we will robustly ensure that we tackle the emergence of potholes. In this regard, we entered into term contracts for the supply and delivery of road maintenance material. We also have contractors dealing with certain specific roads. We will be spending approximately R331 million, on preventative maintenance on already identified 21 projects which are spread throughout the province.
We welcome the support and work being done by the South African Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) in our province. The R81 (Munnik to Giyani) was completed this month, with the R71 (Polokwane to Boyne); Boyne to Tzaneen and Tzaneen to Gravelotte to be completed in May 2012, October 2013 and June 2012, respectively, at a total combined cost of R614 million. Our people must be patient with those necessary delays at ‘stop and go’ points. It is for the good of the province.
Honourable Speaker,
Empowering of small, medium and micro-enterprise (SMME)SMMEs
We remain committed to the economic development of both our people and business. We ensure that in all the contracts issued, 20% of the contract amount goes to SMMEs for sub-contracting. Furthermore contractors are, in all projects, required to appoint local labourers within the community where the project is implemented. It is the requirements of the contract that 9% of the contract amount has to go to local labour. To this end, we will be spending approximately R76 million on local labour and approximately R169 million on sub-contracting. We continually aim to address the imbalances of the past by ensuring that we adhere to our targets of 40% youth, 55% women and 2% persons with disabilities in our projects.
Flood damage repair projects implemented
During December 2011, the department received R40,17 million as part of the Transport Disaster Management Grant from the National Department of Transport. These funds were mainly aimed at repairing collapsed bridges. In total, RAL has spent more than R60 million on repairing flood damaged bridges and roads. These are critical projects which cut-off communities from accessing important services.
The following flood damaged projects received major facelifts:
District: Vhembe
Description Project: Thate Vondo Flood damage repair work on road P278/1
Cost: R19.419 million
District: Vhembe
Description Project: Thate Vondo Heavy maintenance and repairs
Cost: R10.109 million
District: Sekhukhune
Description Project: Reconstruction of Sibelwane bridge on road D4213
Cost: R26.165 million
District: Vhembe
Description Project: Piesanghoek Rehabilitation of bridge 1721 on road P98/1
Cost: R5.694 million
District: Vhembe
Description Project: Lwamondo Rehabilitation of road D3724
Cost: R12.555 million
Honourable Speaker,
Public Transport
The rates charged for several Operating Licence application types have been higher than the new rates prescribed in the regulations for the National Land Transport Act. Therefore, we have motivated to lower the rates to be in line with the regulations. Subject to approval by the National Minister of Transport and also Treasury, these rates will be introduced as early as possible in the new financial year.
The department is continuing with its programme of transforming the taxi industry. We estimate that almost half of the taxis on our roads do not have valid operating licences. This situation has partly been influenced by the halting of issuing new operating licences to allow the industry to recapitalise and convert permits to operating licences. The conversion process has been overtaken by new growth points, new settlements and general growth in the commuter market.
The department is working closely with municipalities, starting with Lephalale, to develop Integrated Transport Plans (ITPs) which enable us to issue new operating licences in line with local transport plans. Illegal operators will not be condoned and where they are identified, joint operations of law enforcement will be put in place to maintain law and order, including the taking over of operations in taxi ranks.
Scrapping unsafe and old taxis
402 taxis were scrapped and R25.4 million was paid during the past financial year as part of the Taxi Recapitalisation process. This is part of a process to get rid of old, often un roadworthy taxis were an operator is given a fixed amount of R59 500.00, when the owner scraps such a vehicle. The old vehicle is then destroyed by the Taxi Scrapping Administrator so that it cannot return to the road. The benefit to the operator is that the payment may be used as a deposit to buy a new vehicle and the operator continues operations with such a new vehicle. Alternatively the operator may choose to exit the market and surrender his operating licence, but keeping the scrapping allowance.
Many operators used to travel long distances, at most times in excess of 250 kilometres to access our operating licensing services at district offices. In order to improve services, the department is rendering satellite operating licensing services two days per month at the following institutions to make the service more accessible to public transport operators:
Capricorn District
- Senwabarwana Workshop
- Polokwane Traffic Station
Mopani District
- Namakgale Traffic Station
- Tzaneen Traffic Station
Sekhukhune District
- Dilokong Traffic Station
- Jane Furse Traffic Station
- Groblersdal Cost Centre
Vhembe District
- Malamulele Traffic Station
- Makhado Traffic Station
Waterberg
- Thabazimbi Cost Centre
- Lephalale Traffic Station
Honourable Speaker,
Passengers transported by 19 bus operators in the province benefitted through the bus subsidy system this year. 935 buses render subsidised services with 1132 drivers permanently employed in undertaking 45 407 971 kilometres at a cost of R512 million in the last financial year. The bus operators provide employment to 2121 people. For the next financial year we have set aside an amount of R574 million, which will indeed go a long way in ensuring that we cushion our commuting public and escape the ravages of inflation, rising fuel costs and other related costs.
Decent commuter facilities
We have commenced with the construction of phase 1 of the Thohoyandou Intermodal Facility in June 2011 at a cost of R216 million which includes a temporary taxi facility, 15 bus and taxi drop-off points in the Thohoyandou CBD and a new taxi facility of 19 959m². The taxis have relocated to the temporary facility and the new taxi rank, which will be completed by November 2012, is currently under construction.
The intermodal facility is designed with a commercial component for which rentals will be charged. The income from the rentals will be used to off-set maintenance and facilities management costs, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the asset.
The commercial services will allow travellers easy access to a variety of services from government, retailers and financial services. This is a first in the province as we are experimenting with big ideas of improving public transport services and facilities. Our people deserve better.
Honourable Speaker,
Extended Road Traffic Services
In responding to the call to take service delivery closer to the people, the department has completed the construction of the Northam traffic station, Aganang Driving License Testing Centre and Fetakgomo K53 test ground at a cost of R46.3 million. It is for the first time that these facilities are constructed in these municipal areas. Before this intervention, they had to travel for distances of more than 50 kilometres to access traffic services at the nearest municipalities.
We have commenced with the upgrading of the Giyani Vehicle Testing Station. The station was devolved by the department to the municipality, and we have committed ourselves to upgrade the station. In other words, after completion the station will be able to test both light and heavy vehicles. We are happy to announce that we have completed the first phase of upgrading the Limpopo Traffic College. The installation of the palisade fence and water reticulation has now been completed. This will improve the safety, security and well being of the students at the institution.
The department managed to approve the registration of 50 post offices as Registering Authorities. This will assist in extending the motor licensing function to those who are unable to access the service whilst also reducing the long queues in our Municipal Registering Authorities. This will reduce foot traffic and long queues at registering authorities given that these transactions are repeated every year.
Corruption-free licencing system
We are happy to announce that the Computerised Learner’s Licence Test (CLLT’s), introduced in 15 Driving Licence Testing Centres, managed to process 41 913 applications for learners licence. 40 336 applicants were tested and 19 752 learners passed. These results were registered due to improvement in the system, as there is no manipulation in the testing process. We will closely monitor, for compliance, those centres where the manual system is still in place.
New and improved number plate
We are moving towards the implementation of a new number plate system in the province. The new number plates will not only be rebranded to include the provincial coat of arms, but will also include new security features for the protection of our motorists. We are in the process of appointing service providers for the supply of the number plate material and we aim to finalise the implementation before the end of this financial year.
The new number plate will be valid for five years from the date of manufacture. After being gazetted, all new vehicles will utilise the new number plate and all other motorists will be given a period of five years to replace their current number plates with the new ones.
Honourable Speaker,
Rooting out fraudulent practices
The environment we inherited allowed for an open season for fraudsters. There are instances where one eNaTIS user processed more than 100 transactions in a day. Some users were processing transactions whilst they were not in office. We have begun the process of verifying all users and we are unearthing the modus operandi of law breakers at driving licence testing centres and vehicle testing stations.
We have strengthened our Anti-Fraud and Corruption Unit, working closely with the Special Investigations Unit, South African Police Services commercial crime unit, organised crime unit. Auditing of centre operations is done from Head Office and we are able to monitor, through eNaTIS, daily transactions for each institution. We are therefore able to detect illegal activities through the system. We have also identified that both driving licence testing centres and vehicle testing stations can process as many transactions for test as they can.
As a control measure, before the end of this month, each institution will only be allowed to perform a specific number of tests according to the number of examiners appointed and linked to a specific centre through the system. Each centre will only be allowed to test a number of drivers and vehicles according to the number of examiners appointed. The system will automatically block any additional driver or vehicle to be tested per day above the allocated number per institution.
During the current financial year, nine officials employed at our vehicle testing stations were arrested for fraud and corruption. This is tangible proof that our zero tolerance approach to fraud and corruption is bearing fruit. Whilst we have other cases that are under investigation, we managed to close one vehicle testing station (Phalaborwa Private Vehicle Testing Station).
Three officials have been arrested and the case is still pending. The officials were issuing roadworthy certificates to vehicles from as far as Cape town, Nelspruit, North West and Gauteng, without testing them. Two examiners and a driving school official have been arrested at Praktiseer Driving Licence Testing Centre for the illegal issuing of learners and driving licences. One official from Marble Hall (Ephraim Mogale) Registering Authority was arrested for theft of 4 000 face value documents which could have been used for the illegal issuing of driving licences and registration of vehicles.
Honourable Speaker,
Road safety still remains high on our priority list. We are engaging in and rolling out a number of initiatives to this end.
Drunk drivers are a danger
Drunken driving is a major contributor to road accidents. Out of the 1 871 accidents on our roads this financial year, 73 were caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol.
The relationship between the Department and South African Breweries (SAB) in the establishment of the Alcohol Evidence Centre in Polokwane has yielded positive results. 10 319 motorists were screened, 1 030 drivers were tested and 764 were arrested for drunken driving. The department will sustain the relationship with SAB by continuing to operate the centre on a 24/7 basis. We appreciate and acknowledge the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Department of Health for their positive support in our fight against drunken driving in the province.
We are showing no mercy to drivers, who have previous convictions of driving under the influence of alcohol, when they apply for professional driving permits. In terms of the National Road Traffic Act, these applications will only be reviewed after five years of the date of conviction.
Automated Number Plate Recognition project
Since the implementation of the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system to manage traffic written notices in the province, 39 950 new written notices were processed, 63 985 warrant of arrests captured, 17 716 notices paid and R6.3 million collected. We have increased compliance levels amongst road users as we are able to track all written notices unlike previously, when notices were captured manually. This Unit instils fear to those who are a law unto themselves.
Honourable Speaker,
The department is going to decentralise the Public Transport Unit from head office to all the districts from 1 April 2012, in order to effectively monitor public transport operations. This will maximise compliance to public transport legislation. Currently the unit is operating in a reactionary manner as it only attend to problem areas, so the decentralisation will change the operations of the unit to be in a proactive way as they will be able to monitor all taxi ranks and bus depots irrespective of the fact that there are conflicts or not. The department will again decentralise road safety officers from districts to traffic stations. This will minimise the cost of travelling by road safety officers and strengthen their operations as they will be closer to the people they are serving.
Accident statistics reveal that most accidents occur during the night and early hours of the morning. During those times our officers are not on duty as they report on duty from 06h00 in the morning up to 19h00 in the evening. The department, in line with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Chapter 2, Section 7, is intending to implement the shift system in the deployment of traffic officers, leading to the availability of officers on a 24/7 basis in order to reduce the carnage on the province’s roads. The shift system will create a sense of omnipresence on our roads.
Honourable Speaker,
We noted serious divisions within the Board of Gateway Airports Authority Limited (GAAL) which severely hampered its ability to function effectively. We are working towards sorting out the leadership problems in order to take the entity out of the quagmire it found itself in.
In conclusion, and as we approach the Easter Holidays, we will redouble our efforts to ensure the safety of the multitudes of ZCC worshippers who will be going to Moria for the Easter Pilgrimage. Thousands will be returning home for the holidays whilst others will be travelling through our province to their destinations throughout Southern African Development Community (SADC).
We would like to take this opportunity to urge them to drive carefully so as to protect the gift of life. During this festive season we recorded a decline in road deaths (from 141 fatalities in 2010/11 to 96) and we would like to urge road users to keep the momentum going forward and contribute towards the “Decade of Action for Road Safety”.
Honourable Speaker
I hereby present the Department of Roads and Transport Budget of 3,757,496 billion Rand for the 2012/13 financial year allocated as follows:
Programme 1: Administration: 500,547 million and
Programme 2: Transport Infrastructure: 1,793,028 billion Rand
Programme 3: Transport Operations: 690,470 million Rand
Programme 4: Transport Regulation: 340,970 million Rand
Programme 5: Community Based Programmes: 451,857 million Rand
I would like to express sincere gratitude to the staff members of Roads and Transport for their sterling job of advancing the department’s vision of providing quality transport infrastructure and services for all to the people of Limpopo. Much appreciation to the Head of the Department, Ntau Letebele for his selfless dedication in leading the administration of Team Transport.
I’m convinced that together we shall provide road and transport infrastructure second to none. I will be making a cardinal mistake if I do not express gratitude and appreciation to the head coach of team Limpopo, Premier Cassel Mathale for his visionary leadership, unwavering support and wisdom that inspires to deliver quality and sustainable services to our people. I would like to further extend our appreciation to the portfolio committee for their continued support in executing their oversight function over the department.
Honourable Speaker
As our glorious movement, the African National Congress is celebrating its centenary year, it is appropriate to pay homage to our living heroes and heroines of our struggle for freedom. I’m talking here of Mma Lydia Komape, Bra Ike Maphoto, Mothupi Pharephare, Rashaka Ratshitanga, Ntate Morule and of course our emerging veteran Tintswalo Goodwil George Mashamba. We appreciate their continued support and mentoring and more importantly guiding us back as we often in times of weaknesses we go astray.
We will forever be indebted to your sacrifices and we promise to never take the struggle for freedom for granted. We are determined to improve the lives of our people. We are encouraged by our struggle heroes who never gave up the fight for equal rights and freedom because of the unrelenting apartheid regime. Their courage of fighting until victory was realised inspires us to toil harder and we shall spare no effort for the total economic emancipation for all. Victory is indeed certain.
I thank you!
