18 July 2006
Sani Pass - South Africa: Today marked a landmark socio-economic development
for the people of South Africa and Kingdom of Lesotho after their governments
agreed on the upgrading of the Sani Pass road from the gravel, largely hard to
navigate terrain to a smooth road.
This road is currently being used almost exclusively by 4X4 vehicles, and
will be upgraded into a sealed and smooth rideable surface that is accessible
to normal car and public transport vehicles. The upgrading of this road will
bring much-needed development to the areas of Himvelle and Underberg in South
Africa as well as Mokhotlong in Lesotho.
The total cost to this project is R160m and on the South African side the
footprint of this initiative will extend as far as Pietermaritzburg, which is a
town with potential to provide a variety of economic services to Lesotho.
In July 2005 the Lesotho Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Popane
Lebesa, and the South African Transport Minister Jeff Radebe signed a
Declaration of Intent (DOI) to promote technical co-operation and activities in
the area of transport including the areas of road, rail and air
transportation.
Addressing a gathering at the border of Lesotho and South Africa (Sani Pass)
today, Mr Radebe said regional co-operation and integration, as articulated in
the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Transport,
Telecommunication and Meteorology, which binds South Africa and Lesotho, are
cornerstones to achieving the vision of the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD).
âThis project we are launching today will serve to not only open up the
Thaba Tseka-Mokhotlong-Sani-Pass-Himvelle-Underberg-Pietermaritzburg corridor,
but will also provide access to the Maloti Transfrontier Park and the World
Heritage Site thereby promoting tourism in this region,â said Minister
Radebe.
He stressed that this project will contribute to black economic empowerment
through the linking of an established and emerging consultant via a joint
venture agreement. It will also examine job creation through the application of
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) principles both during and post
construction through the Vukuzake and Zibambele programmes respectively.
Media Contact:
Collen Msibi
Cell: 082 414 5279
Issued by: Ministry of Transport
18 July 2006
Source: SAPA
