Address by Transport Minister at launch of Free State 2016 October Transport Month programme
Programme Director, Mr Tsholo Lekaoke
MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Mr Sam Mashinini
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Moruti Lakaye Le baruti botlhe
Your Worship the Executive Mayor of Maluti a Phofung, represented by Cllr Mary Crocket
Your Worship Executive Mayor of Thabo Mofutsanyana District, Cllr Vilakazi,
Provincial Commissioner of SAPS, Mr Mpembe
Members of the Mayoral Committees and all Councillors
President of SANTACO Mr Phillip Taaibosch
Distinguished representatives of local government
Acting Director-General of the Department of Transport
Provincial Head of the Department of Police, Roads and Transport
Representatives of the State Owned Companies and agencies
Members of the South African Police and Traffic Police
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
I am pleased to address you today on the occasion of the launch of the Free State 2016 October Transport Month programme following the national launch which took place on the 1st of October in the North West province.
This occasion gives us an opportunity to reflect on the current state of transport in our country as we continue to pursue many endeavours to ensure that all South Africans have access to decent, quality and affordable transport infrastructure and services and it is celebrated under the theme "Together we move South Africa Forward."
Yesterday, 17th October 2016, the progressive world remembered and celebrated the life and times of one gallant socialist Marxist-Leninist revolutionary of our time, Samora Machel, who died from a plane crash on the 19th of September in 1986.
It is only proper today to mention this as part of the need to write our own history and inform both current and generations to come, of the journeys, the hardships and sacrifice that many have endured to make us free from colonial and apartheid rule on the continent and our own country.
We therefore join our Deputy President and indeed our President in expressing our profound tribute and solidarity with the people of Mozambique.
South Africa, since the advent of democracy has ensured that our transport infrastructure is accessible, reliable, safe, and cost effective to be used by all South Africans and our visitors.
As South Africa we have a modern and well-developed transport infrastructure. The air and rail networks are the largest on the continent, and the roads in good condition. The country's ports provide a natural stopover for shipping to and from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia and both coasts of Africa.
The transport sector has been highlighted by the government as a key contributor to South Africa's competitiveness in global markets. It is regarded as a crucial engine for economic growth and social development, and the government has unveiled plans to spend billions of rands to improve the country's roads, railways and ports.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In am pleased that today you commenced the provincial transport month by officially opening the Ntabazwe Testing Station because road crashes necessitate that we place major emphasis on law enforcement and related services. Furthermore, the official opening of the R74 Ntabazwe – Oliviershoek road and the sod turning event for the internal roads in Ntabazwe will ensure that traffic in this part of the road moves with ease and the road will also bring better economic benefits and services to the area.
These infrastructure we built, will also ensure that we move with speed to the reduction of carnages on our roads. As a fact, human factor attributed as the most contributory factor of the crashes in our roads.
Most of these crashes are characterised by speeding, overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic, hit and run and driving under the influence of alcohol and not wearing seat belts.
This is not acceptable, and decisive interventions are been implemented to deal with this scourge.
As we always declared that road safety is everyone’s responsibility, whether you are a vehicle driver, passenger and pedestrian, our law enforcement officers are directed always to be on high alert, to be visible and to patrol all known hazardous areas
We are at the final stages to complete our National Road Safety Strategy, which clearly articulate our road safety plan and those of our stakeholders to fight this scourge of road fatalities. The intention of the Road Safety Strategy is to highlight the main factors which are often the root cause of carnages in our roads.
On the legislative side, our intention to introduce AARTO is to address this situation by encouraging responsible driving habits and adherence to traffic laws amongst the motoring public.
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) reaffirmed its commitment to being the country’s social security safety net that covers and consols those tragically maimed on South African roads.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
While the Department of Transport is responsible for overall policy, road-building and maintenance is the responsibility of the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) as well as the nine provinces and local governments.
SANRAL has completed road infrastructure of about R1, 4bn by the close of the 2014/16 financial year. This includes the construction of the N2 Wild Coast toll road project, the R61 between Mthatha and Port St Johns and the N3 route including the Ntabazwe Industrial Development Zone that forms part of SIP2 projects. On this project allow me to indicate that national government working together with the Free State province is working hard to develop mechanisms to synergise original SANRAL proposals and that of the province to have a better focused project that responds to the people of Free State and Ntabazwe and the surroundings in particular. I am happy that progress is achieved in this regard.
As a listening government, on the 5th of October 2016, we put the final touches to the matter of the De Beers Pass after the conclusion of the Environmental Impact Assessment. We have resolved that SANRAL must go back and look at Van Reenens Pass and use their technical capabilities to make it safe for use. The case of the N3 De Bees Pass was completely abandoned and we are taking the alternative option as proposed by the Free State government. The eighteen months of consultation have borne fruit. Thanks to Free State Provincial government, the District as well as the Local Municipalities for showing leadership on the matter not forget the communities of Ntabazwe and the surrounding areas.
Through the S’hamba Sonke (“walking together”) – our labour-intensive road maintenance programme, which projects are run by the provinces to upgrade and repair roads in rural areas, we continue to improve our road infrastructure and investment.
The S’hamba Sonke Programme while giving new life to South Africa’s roads and improving access to socio- economic facilities is also providing job opportunities to rural communities. An amount of R31.4 bn has been allocated for maintenance of secondary network - Rehabilitate roads, re-seal surfaced roads, maintenance, patch blacktops; and blading and re-gravelling of gravel roads. About 126 594 jobs have been created thus far.
Our Integrated Public Transport Strategy plans to integrate rail, taxi and bus services in co-operation with private operators, both operationally and through ownership.
Our successes with the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRT) is now being adapted and implemented in other South African cities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay, Rustenburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. In 2017 Polokwane, Mbombela, eThekwini and Ekurhuleni will spend a combined R2 bn from September 2016 onwards to begin operations of brand new networks from July 2017.
As the vast majority of South Africans use taxis as their prime transport, the government has introduced compulsory safety standards and a taxi recapitalisation programme, which gets rid of unsafe taxis through a scrapping allowance. We are currently in the process of reviewing this TRP to ensure that it fully responds towards government desired outcomes of transformation and modernising the taxi industry. We want our people to be safe and feel safe.
Programme Director
Major shipping lanes pass along the South African coastline in the south Atlantic and Indian oceans. Approximately 96% of the country's exports are conveyed by sea, and the eight commercial ports are the conduits for trade between South Africa and its southern African partners as well as hubs for traffic to and from Europe, Asia, the Americas and the east and west coasts of Africa.
The Port of Ngqura remains the deepest container terminal in Africa, and is a key part of Coega, one of the country's strategic industrial development zones (IDZs), whilst Durban is still Africa's busiest port and the largest container facility in southern Africa, while Richard's Bay is the world's largest bulk coal terminal.
This ladies and gentlemen as a result of its strategic location make Harrismith an important and strategic town for the development of the Industrial Development Zone as well as the development of world-class retail and tourism infrastructure because it is located as a major part of the N3 Development Corridor. You as local citizens of the town and the entire Free State providence must be a direct beneficiary of these developments.
Ladies and Gentlemen, South Africa has an extensive rail network – the 14th longest in the world – connecting with networks in the sub-Saharan region. The country's rail infrastructure, which connects the ports with the rest of South Africa, represents about 80% of Africa's total.
Improving the country’s 20 247km rail network is a top government priority, with projects aiming to increase freight rail volumes and increase market share of container traffic.
Passenger rail is also being completely overhauled, with a 20-year fleet renewal programme in place to buy more than 7 200 new trains. Managed and implemented by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), the programme focuses on revitalising the local industry through local manufacturing of components. The existing rail network will be upgraded to take advantage of the new coaches’ technological features.
Programme Director
South Africa's 10 airports handle more than 98% of the country's commercial traffic, with 200 000 aircraft landings and 10-million departing passengers annually.
South Africa consistent strength of air travel to and from local and international destinations underpins our aim to continue developing our infrastructure to support long-term economic growth and that the continued development of the aerotropolis zones around our three largest international airports will create vital business hubs for South African and the continent.
In conclusion, I wish to encourage all stakeholders and the public to participate in the activities of the October Transport Month. Let us use this opportunity to look back as we plan ahead.
I wish to thank the Department of Police, Roads and Transport in the Free State, SOEs and agencies for making it possible for us to continue to offer transport related services to the people of our country.
I thank you
