Safety and Liaison Mr B H Cele during the SOD turning for P368/P373
13 January 2009
All protocol observed
⢠Our coming here today confirms that as a democratically elected
government, we do follow up on our promises. I do not have to mention how many
times we have come to this area of Umsinga.
⢠We all know that Umsinga is one of the areas in the province that have
been declared as priority areas for service delivery due to the high rate of
poverty and unemployment. It is on that score that the KwaZulu-Natal Department
of Transport allocated a total budget of R120 million in 2008/09 financial year
to deal with the service delivery challenges in the Umzinyathi district.
⢠We have injected cash in the road maintenance, the construction of new
infrastructure and poverty alleviation and empowerment. Our projects include
among others, the construction of Dicky Bridge, Sphongweni Road, Nxamalala
Road, Nyonini Road, Ezingulubeni Road, Mbalane Bridge, Matimatolo Road, Nhlesi
Road stone pitching, P32, Zonyama Road and KwaLeje Pedestrian Bridge.
⢠I am therefore delighted that today another milestone is recorded in the
lives of people of Mhlangana area, as we do the sod turning to mark the
beginning of the upgrading of the road P368/P373 from gravel to blacktop which
will take about 43.5 km at the tune of R70 million.
⢠The road will be continually upgraded to blacktop surface for every
consecutive financial year, such that this financial year 2008/2009 the first
five kilometres will be completed for Phase 1, and the next financial year
2009/10, Phase 2 of about 15 km will be completed. The same sequencing of
phases will be followed until the entire 43,5 km road length is completed.
⢠This road serves a large community with schools and health services. These
services are not accessible via vehicular traffic due to poor state of this
access road. This road serves about 5 000 households and about 20 000
people.
⢠Our governmentâs policy says that during the construction work, cost must
remain an economic benefit to the communities that project will serve. All
contractors are compelled to source all materials from the local suppliers and
employ all artisans and labour from the nearby communities. The job creation
during this upgrade is estimated at 6 000 person days.
⢠But I want to emphasise that when we bring these projects we do it for
people irrespective of which political party they belong to. My appeal is that
you use our departmental community structures such as Reconstruction and Return
Task Forces (RRTFs) and Combat-Related Special Compensations (CRSCs) that we
have put in place in all communities. I am appealing to you as communities to
refuse to be manipulated by politicians and officials who use your weakness for
their political gain.
⢠Indeed, this is not the first time we have government in the history of
South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal in particular. But our people have only begun to
see change in their lives through our democratic governmentâs development
programmes. You can speak to our 3 258 Zibambele contractors who are
maintaining our roads under Umzinyathi district.
⢠In closing, I want to emphasise that the Department of Transport has a
constitutional responsibility to ensure that our people have a safe and
reliable transport system in the province.
⢠When completed, the design speed of this road will be 60 km/h over most
sections with speed reduction measures installed at steep grades and
non-standard curves to reduce the speed to 40 km/h.
⢠I am emphasising road safety here because it has become clear that there
is no use to build roads that will kill our people. We need to strengthen our
road safety awareness campaigns wherever we are, so that we build roads in
order to develop people, and not to kill them.
⢠Finally, may I take this opportunity to congratulate the community of
Umzinyathi district on all road and bridge projects they have received and yet
to receive. Our goals are indeed centred on the lives of our people.
I thank you.
Issued by: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
13 January 2009
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za/)
