The Free State government has taken a bold step to contribute towards the reduction of the carbon footprint in this country. In collaboration with Transnet Freight Rail, the Free State Provincial Government has launched a R220 million containerised manganese project which will reduce about 58 000 trucks on Free State roads and reduce transport costs by 20%.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed on the 23 September 2011, between Transnet and the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs represented by Chief Executive, Siyabonga Gama and MEC Mxolisi Dukwana respectively makes provision for the establishment of freight hubs in the Free State and relieves Free State roads from heavy burden of transportation that leads to road damage.
“Free State has the longest rail branch lines than any other province. This is as a result of the agricultural and mining activities which once occupied economic prime spot. With changes that have occurred, these branch lines have not been utilized to their full capacity to benefit the province. More than ever, we are convinced that the appropriate utilisation of rail will not only benefit us economically but will assist us in managing our road infrastructure properly”, said Dukwana.
This project is part of the N8 development corridor which will be expected to commission the rail between Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Thaba Nchu and Lesotho. Currently, the public transport system in our province is limited to roads, mainly taxis and buses. The train might reduce the travelling time and cost for travelers who work in Bloemfontein.
Mrs. Alinah Madito, a bus commuter who stays in Thaba Nchu and works in Bloemfontein said she uses bus on a daily basis. She explained that she normally takes one hour and twenty minutes to travel from Thaba Nchu to Bloemfontein in the morning and afternoon. “The train will definitely help in reducing the travelling time and costs for me. I am personally looking forward to shifting from bus to train” said Mrs Madito.
Besides the reduction of the heavy haulage on the roads, this initiative will also have a positive contribution to the tourism industry of the Free State as more people will be using rail as a mode of transport to visit their destinations for business and leisure.
Speaking at the launch Dukwana said: “As the province in the heart of South Africa, we should be taking a strategic advantage of this geographic location to contribute towards the growth and development of our province and other provinces”.
The Premier of the Free State Ace Magashule launched the first phase of the project at the Transnet Operation premises which will create approximately 400 direct job opportunities and further 300 to 500 indirect jobs in various support industries feeding this project. He emphasised the importance of compensating other job losses in other sectors in the province by the employment of local communities to work and be part of this initiative therefore benefitting from it.
Operations Manager of Kalahari Mining Logistics, Christo Lubbe and the project managers of the Manganese stated that they are responsible for bringing the manganese cargo from the PMG Mining Pty Ltd in the Northern Cape containerise it, send it to the Durban port by rail where it is then shipped to China where it’s hardened into steel.
The MOU is also aimed at creating an intermodal facility by establishing freight hubs and taking advantage of a number of available branch lines in the Free State. Chief Executive of Transnet Freight Rail, Mr. Siyabonga Gama believes that as Transnet, they also share the view of the province of pursuing and maintaining an environmentally friendly and therefore sustainable economic development.
Railed consignments will be tracked from loading to destination and therefore customers can plan capacity usage and schedules more thoroughly. TFR have implemented tighter security control on the rail network therefore security risks are reduced.
It can be said with no doubt that the people of the Free State and other provinces will yield long lasting effects of development that is brought by these initiatives.
For enquiries please contact:
Elsie Ntsane, Communication Officer
Tel: 051 400 9550/9465
E-mail: ntsane@detea.fs.gov.za
