T Mhlahlo: Opening of Mbizweni Square/Ngesi Road in Port
Elizabeth

17 February 2006

Let me first take this opportunity to congratulate the Nelson Mandela Metro
Municipality for a job well done in building this beautiful infrastructure that
would contribute in changing the lives of our people.

I would like to further commend the residents of this area for their
participation in this process, which clearly demonstrates the commitment our
people have in making our local government work better.

This shows that when we work together with our councillors and ward
committees, our local government system can respond to the challenges that
continue to stubbornly hinder local economic growth and development.

The last 12 years of our freedom have seen massive investment on
infrastructure development in an effort to address backlogs and apartheid
legacies that have been in existence for many decades. Since 1994, Government
had embarked on a process to overhaul the decaying infrastructure network of
South Africa guided by the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP),
which was the first government blueprint that ensured unhindered infrastructure
network rehabilitation.

We further inherited a transport infrastructure that was not complementing
our developmental agenda, because it was not initially developed to benefit the
majority of our people.

Today we are still grappling with a challenge of improving and maintaining
our transport infrastructure in order to meet world-class standards. This
intervention demonstrates government’s seriousness to overhaul the existing
infrastructure to ensure that it responds to the needs of the people and to
change the face of this area.

I am convinced that this Metro is on the right track in preparing for the
2010 Soccer World Cup as it continues to emerge with appropriate sustainable
mobility solutions that will serve the people, who will come to this city
during and after the tournament.

As government, we are charged with a responsibility to:
* Maximise the use of existing infrastructure;
* Maximise engagement of private sector;
* Integrate, improve and expand the existing services;
* Professionalise and integrate our public transport system;
* Accelerate the implementation of existing economic development plans;
* Achieve specific FIFA World Cup objectives

This new intervention will ensure that our people get a decent public
transport service through the use of the newly-constructed facilities. It
further demonstrates the readiness of the municipality for the implementation
of the Taxi Recapitalisation Project, which is expected to take off this
year.

Our road traffic safety efforts will be enhanced as the new sidewalks would
guarantee safety for the pedestrians. This will further contribute in paving
way for investment through the allocated space for parking areas servicing the
businesses.

The hawking facilities will enable local small, medium and micro enterprises
(SMMEs) to seize the opportunities presented by our democracy. Local people
have already benefited during the construction phase of this project through
labour-intensive methods and some of them were women and young people.

As the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March to
Pretoria and the 30th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, we are charged
with a responsibility to create wealth and provide resources that will enable
us to consolidate the role of women and youth in changing the economy of this
country.

In these hawking facilities, we must ensure that women and youth are the
main beneficiaries as this forms part of a process of building the capacity of
the second economy.

This appeal is consistent with the provision enshrined in the Freedom
Charter that the people shall share in the country’s wealth.

In his Budget Speech two days ago, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, announced
that 1 500 new jobs are created daily in this country. This analysis does not
exclude the people of Nelson Mandela Metro.

We have one of the fastest growing economies in the country and this
municipality is beginning to take its rightful position in the economic
evolution of South Africa and the continent at large. We have the Port of
Coega, components of the auto sector and the booming tourism industry here,
which all necessitate the building of a solid relationship between the First
and Second Economy players to ensure that we emerge with strategies that talk
to each other.

This will ensure that we benefit out of government’s Accelerated and Shared
Growth Initiative of South Africa (Asgisa), which seeks to close the existing
gaps between the two economies. Nelson Mandela Metro is one of the areas
targeted for the implementation of our “Moving Back to Rail” Strategy.

The rail infrastructure that we have does not respond to the freight
handling and public transport challenges that confront this province. We have
many railway lines across this province, which are being under utilised.

In response, we envisage to:
* Extend the Kei Rail from East London to the Nelson Mandela Metropole to link
the East London and Coega Industrial Development Zones.
* Establish fast train between Nelson Mandela Metro and Johannesburg to support
the auto sector and locally-based other industries.
* Expedite the continuous improvement of the transport infrastructure, both
road and rail, linking to the Coega/Ngqura Port to meet world-class
standards.
* Revitalise the railway line between Mothwerwell and Coega; Port Elizabeth and
Uitenhage; Uitenhage and Addo.

Through provision of access and the improvement of mobility, transport will
ensure that people get access to social services, job creation and skills
development; and that the cost of doing business with this Metro is reduced,
local economic development is unlocked and the economy of the province is
transformed.

One way of contributing to economic growth is for government, at all levels,
to invest in those areas that will have a huge impact on economic growth such
as infrastructure, freight and logistics, and public transport.

We are fully aware that the challenge of reconstruction and development is
huge and it requires total commitment and interaction between all spheres of
Government, business, labour and organs of civil society.

Let us all ensure maximum utilisation of these new facilities and protect
them from vandalism in order to achieve a vibrant economic activity at our
doorstep.

Thank you.

Issued by: Office of the MEC for Safety, Liaison, Roads and Transport,
Eastern Cape Provisional Government
17 February 2006
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za/)