D Mabuza: Mpumalanga Roads and Transport Prov Budget Vote
2007/08

26 June 2007

Madam Speaker and Deputy Speaker
Honourable Premier
Members of the Executive Council
Honourable members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature
Executive Mayors and Councillors present here
Traditional leaders
Ladies and gentlemen

Madam Speaker, today we assemble in this house in the midst of memories of
16 June uprisings. As we do so the memories of tender young bodies strewn in
the streets, in the silence of death, in the fading smoke of the policeman's
gun and amid the tears of whole communities all these memories come gushing
back to remind us of the terrible past from which we come, to infuse us with
pride in the heroism of our youth and to enjoin us once more that never again
shall State guns be turned on the youth or anyone else simply because they want
a better education and a better life.

However, in recalling our sorrow we should not lose sight of the heroism
that was the hallmark of our struggle. We should take pride in the epic
struggles that were fought by the youth. That heroism is required in even
greater measure today, the heroism to build, to learn, to improve skills and to
unite the nation. The future is in the hands of the youth.

Madam Speaker, today 26 June remains a very important day in annul of our
history as a country and a nation. It was on this very day, Madam Speaker, that
our people from all the corners of our beloved country gathered in Kliptown in
what was known as the congress of the people to adopt the Freedom Charter. To
us 26 June will remain a bedrock of what guided our struggles and efforts
towards a country of our dreams. We must consider ourselves fortunate to be
amongst those that were afforded the responsibility to carve and shape that
country of our dreams.

Our late President of the African National Congress (ANC) Oliver Tambo spelt
out the true meaning of the Freedom Charter to our country and people when he
said, "The Freedom Charter contains the fundamental perspective of the vast
majority of the people of South Africa, of the kind of liberation that all of
us are fighting for."

"Hence it is not merely the Freedom Charter of the ANC and its allies,
rather it is the Charter of the people of South Africa's liberation because it
came from the people it remains still a people's Charter, the one basic
political statement of our goals to which all genuinely democratic and
patriotic forces of South Africa adhere to."

These words, Madam Speaker, remain true to this day 27 years later. The
Freedom Charter will remain a road map, a programme of the people of our
country for the creation of a truly democratic, non-racial, non-sexiest, united
and prosperous country.

This policy and budget speech reflects our collective effort as a province
and as a nation to transform our infrastructure set up to a more efficient and
sustainable medium that supports economic growth, equitable access to
opportunities and development.

Madam Speaker, the 2007/08 budget seeks to contribute to our recommitment in
bettering life for all and intensifying the fight against poverty through
reinforcing the momentum of our social and economic progress made so far. In
structuring the budget, it is this vision that has been our practical guide a
vision rooted in the actual, practical experience and struggles of ordinary
people.

Acting together, Madam Speaker, we have the capacity to realise these
objectives. As we strive further to advance towards the realisation of our
Vision 2014, we have reflected on the progress we have made, the challenges we
have faced and the tasks that remain in terms of implementing the popular
mandate we received in 2004 to build a people's contract to create work and
fight poverty.

Naomi Tutu once say words that hark back, "Of all those people who went
before to prepare the way for us, most of those people will not ask us to pay
them back. But what they do ask of us is to pay it forward that we make this
country a better place for those who come after us in just the way that they
made this a better place for us."

For us the ultimate test is not whether the intellectual architecture of our
views is more pristine and less messy, but whether people are going to be
better off when we are all gone than when we started.

Madam Speaker, I stand before you and the House to outline our goals and
plans for the year ahead.

As a province we undertook to identify a set of flagship projects at the
beginning of the financial year that will become a yardstick to test policy
options and service delivery strategies as announced by the Premier.

The Department of Roads and Transport will contribute towards four
provincial flagship projects in the 2007/08 financial year and going
forward:

* Moloto Rail Development Corridor
* Maputo Development Corridor
* Tourism, Heritage and Greening of Mpumalanga
* Acceleration of Management Capacity.

In 2007/08 financial year we will continue with implementing priority
projects identified in the previous years namely:

* Provincial Public Transport Plan
* Taxi Recapitalisation Project
* Restructuring of Bus Subsidy Scheme
* Non-Motorized Transport
* Road Safety Strategy
* Best Practice Model for the vehicle testing centres
* Restructuring of Government Motor Transport

Administration

Madam Speaker, the process of restructuring Government Motor Transport (GMT)
came as a result of the inability by government departments to control and
effectively manage government fleet, which contributes negatively to service
delivery. This mismanagement of our fleet results in high maintenance and other
related costs. The feasibility study on the restructuring of GMT will be
finalised by the end of June 2007 and a report will be tabled before the
Executive Council for consideration of the best option to best manage
government fleet.

In order to comply with the requirements of the Public Finance Management
Act (PFMA) as well as treasury regulations, the Department was able to improve
on financial management especially on the payment of suppliers within 30 days
of receipt of invoices. In terms of the targets in the 2004/09 strategic plan
the Department was supposed to achieve 90% compliance.

Madam Speaker, it gives me pleasure to announce to this House that the
target has been reached. However, there is still room for improvement and in
this regard the Department will implement the Expenditure Management System
that was developed during the 2005/06 financial year especially at the regional
level of the Department.

To further improve on the prompt payments to all service providers, the
Department will continue to install the transversal financial systems namely,
Basic Accounting System (BAS), Logistical Information System (LOGIS) and
Personal and Salary (PERSAL) at the following offices: Moretele; Siyabuswa;
KwaMhlanga; Amersfoort; Nelspruit; Standerton, Lydenburg; Tonga; Volkrust;
Driekoppies; Dipaleseng; Machadodorp; Carolina and Mkobola offices. This will
further enhance our quest to pay all invoices within 30 days of receipt.

The Department does not want to contribute in shutting down emerging
entrepreneurs who have to endure more than 30 days to receive payments for
services rendered.

Madam Speaker, honourable members, I am pleased to report to this honourable
House that the Department managed to spend 98% of the 2006/07 financial year
adjusted budget of R990,506 million.

The increased expenditure means that the Department managed to render
services required by the citizens of this province and the users of our
improved and maintained roads network. The Department also managed to collect
R210,961 million on own revenue versus a projected budget of R199,488 million.
This means we have surpassed our target by over R10 million.

As part of the enhancement of revenue collection in the Department, traffic
fees were reviewed by increasing them at an average of 5% and implemented
during the 2006/07 financial year. Motorists were also encouraged to register
their cars in the province through the Zikhakhazise nge Mpumalanga Campaigns,
which means be proud of Mpumalanga. In the current financial year the campaign
will be extended to the Bushbuckridge area to encourage people to change their
registration from Limpopo to Mpumalanga province.

In furthering the implementation of the Revenue Enhancement Strategy the
Department will appoint a service provider to collect all outstanding traffic
fines owed to the Department by the end of the second quarter of 2007/08
financial year.

Madam Speaker and honourable members, in terms of our plan for 2007/08
financial year, we will develop a Risk Management Strategy to reduce potential
risks that may result in the Department failing to achieve its set goals and
objectives. A risk manager will be appointed by the end of July 2007 to advise
management on how to avoid or manage risks and also to ensure that the
departmental fraud prevention plan is also made familiar to all our
officials.

The Department, in partnership with TSB, piloted a project on the
enhancement of matric results in mathematics and science during the 2006/07
financial year. Through this project the department is trying to ensure that
students from rural areas also benefit from bursaries for civil engineering and
other technical qualifications that are advertised by the Department.

The Department, Madam Speaker, will also be liaising with other private
companies to forge similar arrangements in the other two regions of the
province, namely Gert Sibande and Nkangala regions.

For the Department to be able to deliver on its mandate and achieve its
goals, internal skills will need to be improved upon. The Department also needs
to make efforts to retain the skilled officials and also attract required
skills to strengthen its labour force thereby improving service delivery. An
amount of R5,8 million has been set aside to ensure availability of appropriate
skills in the Department for the 2007/08 financial year. This amount will be
spent on capacity building programmes, on bursaries, on Adult Basic Education
and Training (ABET), as well as on Executive Development Management Programme
for senior managers.

In an effort to deal with gender imbalances in the Department, we would like
to report that there has been an improvement in terms of female senior managers
appointed in the Department from 2004/05 financial year.

Of the total of 34 senior managers' posts in the Department, seven are
filled by women and this represents 21% of women in senior management
positions. The Department will ensure that gender equity targets are met as we
fill the vacant budgeted posts to enable us to meet the 2009 targets of 50%
representivity as per national prescripts at all levels within the
Department.

The transversal and transformation unit within the Department will be
strengthened to ensure that it has the necessary capacity to ensure compliance
by the Department. This section has been upgraded to a directorate level to
ensure that all matters that deal with gender, people with disability, Employee
Assistance Programme (EAP), youth and the aged programmes are implemented
within the Department by all programmes.

Madam Speaker, it is with concern that since the dawn of democracy, the
Department has been using old order provincial legislation for roads matters to
guide its operations in the province. The Department will introduce the
Mpumalanga Roads Bill and the Mpumalanga Transport Bill to this House by the
end of this financial year. These pieces of legislation will assist in giving
guidance on road and transport matters in the province.

The Department, however, managed to table the Mpumalanga Roads and Transport
Laws Repeal Bill to the Legislature during the 2006/07 financial year which has
since been approved. This demonstrates that we are moving in the right
direction towards transforming our province. As much as we have tabled the
Mpumalanga Roads and Transport Laws Repeal Bill, there are still sections of
the old order legislation in the Repeal Bill that are still in force.

Roads infrastructure

Madam Speaker, this programme is the backbone of this Department because it
accounts for 66% of the total budget of the Department and it therefore means
that it has high impact projects.

We are pleased to report to this house that we have completed a bridge
management study for all the bridges in the province excluding the recently
acquired area of Bushbuckridge which shall be inspected in 2007/08 financial
year. A total of 848 bridges were inspected and defects identified and costed.
Ninety of these bridges have since been transferred to the South African
National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) and 72 to the Limpopo province. The
balance of the bridges in the province (686) is generally in a safe condition,
except for the Bruno Bridge that is structurally unsafe for public usage. The
Department has put aside R16 million for the rehabilitation of the Bruno Bridge
in the current financial year.

The following bridges will be repaired during the financial year: Koffie
River; Bronkhorst River; Waterfall River; Olifants River; River Bridge; Vaal
River; Komati River; Moteti River; Bridge over D686; Rail Bridge in Thaba
Chweu; Drinkwaterspruit and Meetse Madiba River at the cost of R14 million.

Madam Speaker, we would like to inform the House that in July 2006, we
witnessed the completion of the Moloto Road Phase 3 at a total cost of R78,9
million with a total of 131 jobs created.

The completion of the road was a major achievement because it contributed
immensely towards the reduction of accidents which took lives and limbs of many
of our people for a long time resulting in that road being referred to as the
"killer road".

The Department has appointed the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) to recommend remedial action to be implemented on the Moloto
Road such as road information signs along the road, fencing, overhead bridges
and re-enforcement of law enforcement on the road.

As part of our effort to improve the condition of our roads, we managed to
construct and complete approximately 139 kilometres (km) of the following roads
in the last financial year at a total cost of R372 million:

* Bethal to Morgenzon (total length 32 km) at a total cost of R90
million
* Kinross to Standerton (total length 58 km) at a total cost of R84
million
* Daggakraal to Amersfoort (total length 18 km) at a total cost of R70
million
* Ga-Matlala to Magakadibeng (total length 6,5 km) at a total cost of R16,5
million
* Fernie to Diepdale (total length 4,5 km) at a total cost of R17,5
million
* Gutshwakop to Luphisi (total length 7 km) at a total cost of R16,1
million
* Driefontein to Piet Retief (total length 9,7 km) at a total cost of R63,2
million
* Senotlelo to Lefiso (total length 4 km) at a total cost of R14,7 million.

Madam Speaker and honourable members, the Department will continue with the
upgrading of the following major roads in 2007/08 at a budget of R184,500
million:

* Sandriver to Nyongane
* Barberton to Bulembu
* Manyeleti to Cottondale
* Langkloof to Verena
* Kahoyi-KwaMandulo to Khombaso-Mbangwane
* Senotlelo Bridge
* Bruno Bridge
* Fernie to Amsterdam T-junction
* Marapyane to Lefiso.

Honourable members, the Department will deal with roads maintenance backlogs
that have accumulated over years and also attempt to strike a balance between
roads maintenance and new upgrades. In 2007/08 financial year, an amount of
R226,253 million has been set aside to repair, patch, mill and reseal 655 km of
various roads in the province. The following roads per region will be
maintained during the year:

* Nkangala region

Delmas to Kriel; Delmas to Nigel; Badplaas to Machadodorp; Witbank-Verena to
Tweefontein; Middelburg to Stoffberg and Delmas to Leandra.

* Ehlanzeni region

KaNyamazane to Nelspruit; Nelspruit to White River; Dullstroom to Lydenburg;
D636 Karino road; Rocky's Drift to the airport; Lydenburg to Sabie;
Nelspruit-Kaapsehoop to Ngodwana; Sabie to White River; Agricultural College
Road and Matsulu access road.

Gert Sibande region

Embalenhle to Secunda; Grootvlei to Dasville; Charl Cilliers to Secunda;
Villiers to Balfour; Ermelo to Morgenzon; Morgenzon to Standerton; Secunda to
Kriel; Wakkerstroom Road; Mahamba Road; Volkrust to Vrede; Carolina to
Chrissiesmeer; Balfour to Standerton and Carolina to Machadodorp.

Madam Speaker, as part of reducing poverty and unemployment through the
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), the Department has a budget of R184,639
million and approximately 3 000 job opportunities will be created through roads
maintenance and construction during the 2007/08 financial year.

In order to improve the conditions of our rural roads in Ehlanzeni region,
we shall establish a construction unit similar to those already established in
Gert Sibande and Nkangala regions. These construction units will be utilised to
mainly concentrate on re-gravelling provincial roads. This will increase
accessibility to most significant facilities and easy mobility of
communities.

The development of our Rural Transport Strategy has assisted the Department
to identify and assist rural municipalities in rehabilitation and maintenance
of gravel roads as well as improve service delivery. We have purchased 12
graders which shall be distributed to the following municipalities (Albert
Luthuli-3; Nkomazi-2; Bushbuckridge-2 Dipaleseng-1; Dr JS Moroka-2 and
Thembisile-2).These graders will assist the rural municipalities to be able to
maintain their roads and streets and ensure that our people have easy access to
public transport and institutions such as schools, clinics and other public
facilities.

Madam Speaker, the Department has challenges in as far as the Roads
Infrastructure Programme is concerned. One of the challenges is that the
Department does not have a system of prioritising the roads that needs to be
maintained in the province. In terms of our plan for the 2007/08 financial
year, the Department will develop a system that will be able to indicate the
entire network for which we are responsible, the condition of those roads, the
maintenance required, the maintenance costs and also the priority roads to be
maintained on an annual basis.

A budget of R3,662 million has been set aside for 2007/08 financial year to
start with the development of the system which will be done in partnership with
SANRAL. This system will also assist in improving the budget processes as far
as roads projects are concerned.

During the course of the 2006/07 financial year, we transferred
approximately 595 km of the strategic economic routes in the province to
SANRAL. This is in compliance with the new roads classification called the Road
Infrastructure Framework for South Africa (RIFSA).

The following routes were transferred during the previous financial
year:

* R33 (Commomdale on the border of KwaZulu-Natal to Belfast, total length
204 km)
* R38 (Bethal to Badplaas, total length 193 km)
* R35 (Amersfoort to Middelburg, total length 150 km)
* R40 (White River to Hazyview and from Marite River to Sabie, total length 48
km).

The Coal Haulage Roads Project is one of the high impact project approved by
the Executive Council during the 2006/07 financial year to be implemented by
the Department.

The Department will finalise the business plan to deal with the coal haulage
network in Gert Sibande and Nkangala Regions. A viable funding model for this
network will be finalised by the end of the 2007/08 financial year.

The reconstruction of these roads will ensure that the call by the State
President, honourable Mr Thabo Mbeki of reducing the cost of doing business
will be realised. The study undertaken by one of our strategic partners, Eskom,
indicates that approximately R3 billion is required for the reconstruction of
these roads. In terms of the study the roads have been prioritised into three
categories.

Category one, includes roads that need to be reconstructed immediately at a
total cost of approximately R1,088 billion. Category two, includes roads that
need reconstruction within the next 12 months, otherwise they will also
collapse at a total cost of approximately R862 million. Category three, roads
will need reconstruction in the next three to five years at a total cost of
approximately R946 million. The Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) is also
undertaking a study on possible funding of the coal haulage network for the
Department.

A Coal Haulage Conference/Summit will be convened during the year to amongst
other things agree with our stakeholders on the coal haulage network grid,
agree on self regulation framework on overloading by the various industries and
possible funding of the maintenance of the coal haulage network grid.

In our drive of implementing the overload strategy, the Department will
complete the weighbridges at Ermelo and Kinross at a total budget of R41,575
million. In encouraging partnerships with the private sector the Department
would like to call upon all sector industries such as the coal, timber and
sugar cane to look at self regulation in as far as overloading control is
concerned.

Public transport

Madam Speaker and honourable members, we would like to indicate to the House
that in our endeavour to make public transport accessible to the poor, it is
required that the provincial and municipal spheres of government systematically
consolidate their service delivery efforts through collaborative planning. This
will require municipalities to establish public transport co-ordination and
policy units. This will enable a more effective and efficient flow of resources
from the Department to local municipalities.

Madam Speaker, it is a fact that transport is the heartbeat of the economy.
During this year the Department will complete the detailed feasibility study on
Moloto Rail Development Corridor which is one of the flagship projects in the
province.

Madam Speaker, honourable members, I am pleased to inform this house that
the interim report (submitted in April 2007) on the detailed feasibility study
of the Moloto Rail Development Corridor Project indicates that from the
economic, financial, macro-economic, technical, environmental and
socio-political feasibility that the project is feasible if a policy decision
can be taken that the primary section (Gauteng to Siyabuswa) would cross
subsidise the other two sections i.e. Siyabuswa to Masobye and to Marble Hall.
According to the report, the section between Gauteng and Siyabuswa is the most
feasible from a financial point of view and should funding be made available it
can be implemented immediately. The section between Siyabuswa and Masobye
should only be considered only if the Hammanskraal to Pretoria rail line is
introduced. The construction of the rail along this corridor will reduce the
number of buses on the Moloto road, thereby reducing travel time for commuters
between Mpumalanga to Gauteng areas and also reduce fatalities on Moloto
road.

The interim April 2007 report will be submitted to the national Department
of Transport for funding during this year as soon as it is approved by the
Provincial Executive Council. We are confident, Madam Speaker, that
construction of the rail will start in the next financial year. The
implementation of this project will result in the creation of approximately 115
000 jobs during the construction period and 6 000 during the operation period.
The project is estimated to cost approximately R13 billion.

During the 2006/07 financial year, the Department completed a study on the
Rural Transport Strategy. Honourable members, in implementing the Rural
Transport Strategy the Department will implement what is known as the
Integrated Rural Mobility and Accessibility (IRMA) projects that involve foot
bridges, walkways and cycle paths in the Nkomazi, Albert Luthuli, Mbombela, Dr
JS Moroka, Thembisile and Bushbuckridge local municipalities.

These projects will cost R29,261 million. This is in support of the
Department's vision of "an integrated transport system promoting economic and
social development" and the mission which aims "to provide safe, accessible and
affordable transport system".

It has become necessary that we shift our priorities to infrastructural
development. This is important because even the old lady of Ntombe village
requires a taxi or bus to move from the mountains to the nearest shop to buy
mielie meal or bread. Infrastructural development will create jobs, improve the
rural economy, improve accessibility and alleviate poverty.

As part of the implementation of the IRMA projects, the promotion of
non-motorised transport within the province will be accelerated. There is a
partnership between the Department, local municipalities and traditional
offices to promote non-motorised transport through the bicycle project.

The Department will donate 1 000 bicycles and subsidise 1 500 bicycles as
part of the expansion of "Shovakalula" bicycle project in the 2007/08 financial
year at a total cost estimate of R5,6 million. The bicycle donations and
subsidisation will be done at Dipaleseng; Lekwa; Pixley-ka-Seme; Govan Mbeki;
Emakhazeni; Dr JS Moroka; Thembisile; Steve Tshwete; Emalahleni; Bushbuckridge;
Thaba Chweu; Umjindi; Nkomazi and Mbombela municipalities.

During this financial year, we shall forge ahead with the restructuring of
the public transport system in order to integrate other modes of public
transport such as taxis, so as to ensure accessibility and affordability of our
public transport. The Model Tender document was gazetted in August 2006 and the
Department will continue with the conversion process of the current interim bus
contracts into negotiated or tendered contracts. As an attempt to integrate and
include the taxi industry in public transport subsidies, the Department will
conclude the designs of all public transport routes in the province and ensure
that public transport operators based on negotiated or tendered contracts are
appointed by the end of the 2007/08 financial year.

Through this process, routes that were previously not subsidized by
government such as the Barberton-Nelspruit, Middelburg-Emalahleni,
Malelane-Nelspruit, White River-Nelspruit routes will be subsidised.

The Department will also utilise the negotiated contracts in order to
promote Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) through public transport
services.

Madam Speaker, the Department will continue with the implementation of the
Taxi Recapitalisation Project during the 2007/08 financial year. All taxi
associations and members will be fully registered by the end of the financial
year thereby ensuring compliance with the requirements of the National Land
Transport Transition Act (NLTTA). The Operating Licensing Board has so far
approved 8 040 operating licenses of the 9 662 applications received for
conversion from permits to operating licenses. Of the 8 040 operating licenses,
6 156 have been uplifted by the operators.

We would like to call upon all operators to uplift their operating licenses
as they will expire within 180 days as per the NLTTA. To ensure that the
objectives of the Taxi Recapitalisation Project are achieved, law enforcement
by both transport inspectors and traffic officers will be increased to ensure
that all taxi operators have operating licenses and that all vehicles on the
roads are roadworthy.

The national government's effort to remove unsafe and unroadworthy taxi
vehicles on our roads as part of the Taxi Recapitalization Project has been
enhanced within the province by the Department's ability to meet the deadline
of the conversion of permits into operating licenses. The scrapping process
kick started on the 17 February 2007 and 6 519 applications have already been
submitted to the scrapping agency.

The Department acknowledges that although a number of taxi operators have
submitted their vehicles for scrapping, the process of finalising the payment
of the R50 000 allowance has been a challenge. The Department together with
TSA, the scrapping administrator will ensure that all the bottlenecks are
removed to ensure that operators are paid within a reasonable time period. As
at the 30 May 2007, 621 out of the 6 519 applications received for scrapping
have been approved by the scrapping agency and 327 operators have been paid
approximately R16,3 million scrapping allowance.

Madam Speaker and honourable members, to further support our vision the
Department will design and construct multi modal public transport facilities in
Mbombela, Emalahleni, Steve Tshwete, Govan Mbeki, Msukaligwa and Bushbuckridge
municipalities. The Mbombela Multi Modal public transport facility is also in
support of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

The Department will also support the Mbombela Local Municipality as one of
the 2010 Soccer World Cup host city by designing the Daantjie to Luphisi road;
by maintaining the KaNyamazane to Nelspruit; Nelspruit to White River; D636
Karino road; Rocky's Drift to Airport; Agricultural College Road and Matsulu
access roads during the financial year.

We have begun to take the necessary and real steps for a lasting legacy in
transport, not just for 2010 but for the benefit of our society beyond
2010.

As Franklin Roosevelt once said, "Each age is a dream that is dying or one
that is coming to birth." And we live in the country where the biggest dreams
are born. The obliteration of apartheid regime was only a dream, until it was
fulfilled. Hosting the World Cup was only a dream, until the announcement was
made by FIFA. Our generation has dreams of its own and we also go forward with
confidence."

Traffic management

As part of our effort to fight against fraud and corruption as well as to
improve service delivery in our licensing and testing stations/centres, we
managed to implement the best practice model at the following seven local
municipalities: Mbombela; Nkomazi; Emalahleni; Steve Tshwete; Msukaligwa;
Umjindi and Govan Mbeki. This was done in partnership with business against
crime. This effort will go a long way towards resolving the problem of fraud
and corruption in these centres.

In terms of the 2007/08 financial year, the Department will further roll out
the best practice model at Thaba Chewu; Bushbuckridge; Dr JS Moroka; Lekwa;
Dipaleseng; Mkhondo; Pixley Ka Seme and Delmas local municipalities.

To further reduce fraud and corruption at testing and licensing stations,
the Department will pilot the system of processing learners' licenses on line
at Mhala, Nelspruit and KwaMhlanga testing stations. Madam Speaker, I am proud
to announce that the inspectorate unit has been established during the 2006/07
financial year to deal with fraud and corruption at the testing and licensing
stations.

Madam Speaker and honourable members, in our quest to reduce fatalities and
accidents on our roads by 10%, the Department will continue to ensure that road
safety awareness campaigns are enhanced in all areas of the province.

The approval of the Road Safety Strategy by the Executive Council last year,
will see the implementation of the strategy from the 2007/08 financial
year.

As an attempt to improve visibility of traffic officers on our roads, an
additional 43 traffic officers will be employed during the financial year.
However, Madam Speaker, the Department has a shortfall of 741 traffic officers
and this contributes towards poor visibility which poses a challenge in terms
of our readiness to reduce fatalities on our roads as we approach the 2010
Soccer World Cup and beyond. The challenge faced by the Department to recruit
these extra traffic officers is related to budgetary constraints as well as
availability of qualified traffic officers.

To deal with the shortage of traffic officers in the province, the
Department is looking at a feasibility of establishing a traffic academy in the
province to train new traffic officers and also enhance the capacity of
existing traffic officers. This academy will also benefit local municipalities
in the province as well. Progress on this matter will be communicated to all
stakeholders during the year.

In recent months, Madam Speaker, it has been determined that there are
particular patterns of drunken driving resulting in head on collisions and
death of people on our roads. The Department will conduct special traffic law
enforcement projects that will be targeted at particular areas on a monthly
basis. It is expected that this will send a clear message that the Department
will not tolerate drunken driving and general failure by any road users to
observe the 'Sivuth' Umlilo.' The support from all members of the public will
be greatly appreciated, as one death due to drunken driving is one too many on
our roads.

Honourable members, the introduction of Electronic National Traffic
Information System (eNaTIS) for registration of vehicles in the country had
hiccups which have affected motorists and the economy of the country. Motorists
were unable to renew their vehicle licenses on time; car dealers were unable to
sell new vehicles, lost time by economically active people as they spent long
time at the registering authorities due to long queues etcetera. The Department
in consultation with the local municipalities managed to ensure that the
working hours were extended to deal with the backlog created during the down
time of the system.

However, in the long run the benefits of the system will be felt by all the
users and motorists at large. The following are some of the benefits of the
eNaTIS, no double bookings for learners and drivers' licenses, it will reduce
queues at registering offices once payments for license renewal can be done
on-line in the near future, traffic fines can be paid on-line etcetera.

Allow me, honourable Madam Speaker and members; to take this opportunity to
table the budget for the Department of Roads and Transport for the 2007/08
financial year for approval by this House as follows:

* Administration: R210,317 million
* Roads Infrastructure: R938,521 million
* Public Transport: R116,560 million
* Traffic Management: R155, 372 million
* Total: R1 420,770 billion

Conclusion

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, allow me to pay special tribute to the
hardworking men and women within the Department of Roads and Transport as they
will be working day and night to ensure that the priorities set out in this
policy and budget speech will be implemented as tabled.

I would also like to thank my predecessor, honourable Mr AF Mahlalela for
the foundation laid within the Department, I can only build on it. Last but not
least, I would like to thank the honourable Premier, Mr TSP Makwetla, the
entire Executive Council and the Portfolio Committee on Public Works, Roads and
Transport for their support and advise to enable the Department to deliver on
its mandate.

Madam Speaker, let me conclude by quoting words of former President Nelson
Mandela in his appeal to world leaders to join the Make Poverty History
Campaign, "Do not look the other way, do not hesitate. Recognise that the world
is hungry for action, not words. Act with courage and vision."

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Roads and Transport, Mpumalanga Provincial
Government
26 June 2007