B Cele: Sod turning of Mlambomunye local road

3 April 2009

Protocol observed

• Our gathering here today for the sod turning is indicative of the fact
that our government has ears to listen. As a democratically elected government
we respond to the needs of our communities.

• Our budget in the past financial years has been dedicated it to Operation
KuShunquthuli and road safety. Operation kuShunquthuli is about road
infrastructure development, the building of access roads, the building of
pedestrian bridges, the building of vehicle bridges, particularly in the rural
areas.

• We know that as a country, our focus is on transport system for 2010. But
as the Department of Transport we want to ensure that while our focus is on
2010 and beyond, we continue to provide transport infrastructure to our rural
communities who may not be affected directly by 2010 projects.

• Therefore we dedicated our budget to areas such as Nquthu, where people
still travel kilometres on foot to the nearest clinic, hospital, school,
pension payout. We say as government we cannot allow a situation where people
cannot have access to their basic services.

• Today we are responding to a request by the community that a local road be
constructed that will start near Qhobo Secondary School and Gwija Primary
School, to serve over 100 homesteads within Mlambomunye and Bagayi areas. The
total cost of the project is estimated at R21 million. The proposed length is
11,5 km.

• There is presently no clinic nearby and in case of illnesses; people have
to be carried on wheelbarrows for long distances. Therefore the construction of
this road will provide easy access for mobile clinics, pension pay points,
furniture vehicles, hearses and minibus taxis.

• On completion, this road will be maintained by our Zibambele road
maintenance programme, which will also create more employment opportunities for
impoverished women.

• I am pleased to learn that under Nquthu Reconstruction and Return Task
Force (RRTF), we now have 1 343 Zibambele contractors. There are 39 savings
clubs and they have saved R359 628 to date. We must take politics out of this
programme. Contractors must be identified and selected on the basis of poverty
in their community.

• We have also invested in other activities under Nquthu RRTF, such as
construction of local roads to the value of R3,8 million and construction of
causeways at the cost of R5,5 million.

• This is not the first time we have government in the history of South
Africa and KwaZulu-Natal in particular. But our people where these
infrastructure projects were constructed bear testimony of how much improved
their lives have been.

• Despite the limited funding, we will try to address the backlog to the
best of our abilities in the spirit of Operation Kushunquthuli and ultimately
so that the quality of lives of the people of KwaZulu- Natal is better than
yesterday and their tomorrow is better than today.

• In conclusion, earlier this week we launched our Easter Road Safety
Campaign for 2009 where we outlined how we, as the KwaZulu-Natal Department of
Transport has planned to ensure your safety on our roads during the coming
weeks.

• During this Easter, enforcement and patrols will be conducted in the
province focusing on the following critical offences:
- Pedestrian Safety
- Drunk and driving
- Public Passenger Transport and LDVs (Bakkies)
- Unsafe overtaking
- Vehicle without number plates

• These are just some of the specific initiatives that we will be involved
in during this period to ensure safety on our roads but there is also an
extensive enforcement and safety plan in the form of roadblocks that we have
provided to the media and brought to public attention. So, don’t say you were
not warned.

Thank you

Issued by: Department of Transport, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial
Government
3 April 2009
Source: Department of Transport, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kzntransport.gov.za)