Madam Speaker;
The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Honourable Dr Zweli Mkhize;
Members of the Provincial Executive Council;
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature;
Amakhosi AseNdlunkulu present;
Mayors and Councillors of Municipalities;
Director-General and Heads of the various departments;
Excellencies, members of the diplomatic corps;
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen;
Senior officials of government departments;
Members of the media;
Citizens of KwaZulu-Natal
Introduction
Madam Speaker, I rise to table the Budget for Vote 12, Department of Transport, in my capacity as the Executing Authority for the department under the theme, “Deepening People’s Activism against Road Carnages and Transgressions.” Safety on our roads is a priority for the Department of Transport. This is particularly so as 2011 to 2020 is declared as the United Nations decade for fighting carnages and transgressions on our roads.
We are playing our part as this department, together with our partners in Health and Social Development as mandated by the Executive Council of KwaZulu-Natal towards fighting this scourge. We have taken stock of commitments made in the last budget speech in an attempt to evaluate if indeed we are moving forward. We committed to align our organogram with the service delivery mandates of our department as well as to fill in all vacant posts.
We made commitments with regards to Transport Infrastructure development. These include dealing with the vexing subject of potholes, the shortages of bitumen, continuing with corridor projects and striking a balance between construction and maintenance.
We went on record with regards to completing the Ulundi and the Estcourt Integrated Public Transport Facility, commencing designs for eMondlo and Umzimkhulu, as well as distributing 2050 bicycles to schools as part of our Transportation programme. In as far as Road Safety matters are concerned, we committed as the department to implement the resolutions of the summit on Road Safety so as to yield positive spinoffs in the fight against transgressions and road carnages. We further committed to achieving a clean audit.
Developments on our Commitments
Chairperson, we have made considerable progress in delivering on our commitments made in the 2011 budget speech. We have implemented some of the resolutions and are currently implementing most of the Resolutions of the Road Safety Summit held in March 2011.
With regards to the organogram, we have now in place the top structure, level 13 upwards, approved by Mr R L Padayachie, the late Minister of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) for implementation. The implementation plan with regards to the filling in of vacant posts is in place and we have commenced with it.
In as far as the vexing matter of potholes is concerned, we have identified and quantified the extent of potholes throughout the province and we are in the process of implementing a strategy that will mitigate the risk failures as they occur. In as far as shortages over the supply of bitumen, our interactions with the refineries revealed that there is sufficient bitumen for the country.
The problem identified was rather a lack of coordination between the oil companies on maintenance shutdowns which has resulted in supply shortages, and ultimately, hampered progress of many road infrastructure projects in the province. In 2011, the department engaged with the refineries regarding their overlapping maintenance schedules, and requested that these shutdown periods to be scheduled for the rainy months of the year when the department is not involved on maintenance programmes.
Honourable Members particularly in the Transport Portfolio Committee will know that the uLundi Intermodal Facility was completed as scheduled, and was since opened in May 2011. A total of 53 jobs were created through the construction of this facility. During the past year the department received a Clean Audit for the 2012/13 financial year. I take this opportunity to thank the entire team in the department for such an improvement in the manner in which the financial and administrative affairs of the department have been managed. I urge them to sustain this good record and improve on it year on year.
Administration
Madam Speaker, allow me to specifically deal with programme one, Administration. The department remains committed to improving Employment Equity with regard to women and people with disabilities (PWDs). The analysis of the department’s workforce profile currently shows that women represent 40.14% of the total staff complement, PWDs represent 0.57%, women at SMS level represent 48.38% and employees from designated groups represent 91.56% of the entire workforce. As we implement the approved structure alluded earlier, we shall pay attention to this matter.
Government has identified training and education as one of the key strategies for investing in its human capital. In response to this the department has committed itself to providing the Adult Education and Training Programme (AET) to the illiterate and semi-literate employees of the department. There has been considerable progress since the inception of the programme in 2004. The number of learners completing the Programme and achieving the General Education and Training Certificate/ NQF Level 1 qualification is increasing annually. The department has budgeted R6,804,857 million for the AET programme for the 2012/13 financial year.
In our last budget speech, we committed to pursue partnerships with institutions of higher learning particularly Further Education and Training Colleges as well as Universities of Technology. We are in pursuit of this goal. The department has spent R1,784,255 million on the bursary programme to date. The number of prospective employees (youth) that have completed their National Diplomas in Civil/Mechanical Engineering has now increased to 70 and approval has been granted for their appointment on fixed term contracts for three years.
Although these prospective employees are not appointed permanently, they are afforded the opportunity to apply for any vacant posts in the department. Their employment will address the issue of scarce skills that the department direly needs and consequently contribute to the development of the economy of our Province and the country as a whole.
A dedicated budget of R6.5 million is allocated to ensure that all facets of the Employee Wellness Programme are implemented. The development of the Employee Wellness Programme has four pillars emanating from the Employee Health and Wellness Strategic Framework which was implemented and Launched by the Minister of Public Service and Administration in November 2008 with effect from 1April 2009.
These pillars are: HIV and AIDS and TB Management; Health and Productivity Management; Wellness Management and Safety; Health, Environment, Risk and Quality (SHERQ). Our Employee Wellness Programme continues to see a steady increase in the number of employees attending the clinics every year.
Transport Infrastructure
Chairperson, the purpose of this programme is to promote accessibility and the safe, affordable movement of people, goods and services through the delivery and maintenance of transport infrastructure that is safe, sustainable, integrated, environmentally sensitive, and which supports and facilitates social empowerment and economic growth. The Provincial Planning commission has completed the provincial Growth and Development strategy.
This strategy identifies infrastructure development as one of the key pillars that are integral to the stimulation of economic growth of this province. The President in his State of the Nation Address has already given the marching orders in terms of infrastructure that needs to be developed. This infrastructure development includes road, rail and Ports.
These have been echoed by the Premier in his State of the Province Address and we are now implementing these marching orders together with the Passenger Rail Agency (PRASA) and all our partners. As a department we have had two engagements with PRASA in April and in May 2012. We have agreed on the establishment of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Rail Steering Committee (KZNRSC).
This committee will comprise of representatives from the National Department of Transport, PRASA, Metrorail, KZN department of Transport and the Municipalities. We are currently working on the Memorandum of Understanding which will be concretising the working relationship to achieve the Rail Agenda.
Honourable Members, the total allocation for the 2012/13 financial year for road infrastructure development is R5.17 billion. Almost 70% of the entire departmental budget is dedicated to infrastructure development. From this infrastructure budget R1.5 billion is for construction and R3.67 billion for maintenance. The key focus area for the 2012/13 financial year has shifted from the construction of road infrastructure to the maintenance of the existing road network. The construction investment is made up of new gravel and blacktop roads and upgrading of gravel roads to blacktop.
Maintenance on the other hand consists of routine maintenance, re-gravelling, blacktop patching, rehabilitation, reseals, blading, safety and special maintenance. Although there is an increase in allocation, the budget allocated to maintenance is still not sufficient to drastically reduce the backlog in maintenance requirements. It is, however a start in the correct direction to maintain the existing provincial road network.
In executing our transport infrastructure development, we remain committed to our Operation Kushunquthuli programme of uplifting rural communities through the provision of access to schools, clinics, social amenities, including areas with agricultural potential. We will continue to champion our programme of Roads of national Importance, African Renaissance Roads Upgrading Programme including Roads for Rural Development and Pedestrian Bridges.
Briefly, Honourable Members, the African Renaissance Roads Upgrading Programme (ARRUP) consists of 15 roads totalling in excess of 500 kilometres (km) at an investment in excess of R3,7 billion. The department is proud to announce the completion of the following three projects; P399 in Vulindlela, P296/38 in Osizweni to Buffalo Flats, P235 Hlabisa to Nongoma and P240 from Obanjeni to Kwamaqwakazi.
The following are some of the key ARRUP projects currently under construction, namely, P577 (Duffs Road), which forms part of an alternative route between Pinetown and the King Shaka International Airport, the upgrade to blacktop of the P700 (Ulundi Road) which is 95 kilometres, upgrade to blacktop of P68 located from Assisi to St. Faiths to Port Shepstone which is 23.9 kilometres, P230 located from Empangeni to Eshowe which is 31.3 kilometres, upgrade to blacktop of Main Road P15-1 located from Ntonjambili to Woshi River, in Stanger which is 7.6 kilometres.
Challenges
Honourable Members, service delivery has not been without its challenges. The heavy rains and floods experienced in the province over the past couple of years remain a serious challenge facing the department. Although the department received an allocation of R214 million towards the repairs to roads during 2010/11 and a further R29.63 million during 2011/12, damages to the value of R727.12 million still remain outstanding. To ensure the safety of its road users, the department undertook to complete repairs to flood damaged road infrastructure to the value of R250.50 million from its own budget thus requiring reprioritisation of our projects.
The provision of infrastructure comes with various other challenges apart from limited funding. Scarce skills is a problem that is facing the department as many old staff are either retiring or have moved on for greener pastures. The department is experiencing an exodus of trained staff both young and old. The key focus is for experienced staff to be retained as this will enable new staff to be trained as well as appropriately monitor consultants in its employ. Furthermore this will eventually reduce the usage of consultants.
One of the challenges preventing the road network from fulfilling its core function is the high incidence of potholes in the province. Approximately 80% of our roads are more than 25 years old, and the design life of a road is 25 years. The lifespan of such roads can only be prolonged if regular and proper maintenance has been carried. Unfortunately the occurrence of regular maintenance has been minimal due to a shortage of funds for such programmes.
This critical issue combined with high traffic volumes, overloading of heavy vehicles, poor drainage and high levels of rain experienced contribute to the high occurrence of potholes in our province. Gravel shortage is another problematic area. This results in increased haulage which in turn results in increased costs of either construction or re-gravelling of gravel roads.
Transport Operations
Chairperson, allow me to now move to programme three, Transport Operations. Public Transport remains a critical component that enables the citizens to effectively and seamlessly move within the Province and between provinces to access goods and services.
The improved public transport system is guided by the principles of:
- the user orientated system
- fully integrated and publicly controlled
- mass rapid public transport networks.
- affordable and accessible transport
Integrated Public Transport System
The National Transport Policy, Public Transport Strategy and Action Plan have been a ground breaking initiative towards re-engineering of public transport system. These polices mandate Planning Authorities to develop and implement Integrated Rapid Public Transport Networks (IRPTN) and Integrated Public Transport Networks (IPTN).
The province is mandated to assist Planning Authorities that lack capacity in developing and implementing IRPTN/IPTN. Hence, the department is instrumental in the development and implementation of infrastructure that emanates from planning process. The progress to the development of IRPTN/IPTN in the province can be summarised as follows.
The following municipalities have prepared and completed their IRPTN/IPTN: eThekwini Metropolitan Council, uGu, uMgungundlovu, uThungulu, iLembe and uMkhanyakude District Municipalities. In 2012/13 financial year, the department will engage in preparing the following IRPTN/IPTN: Zululand, uThukela, Amajuba and uMzinyathi District Municipalities. The Sisonke IRPTN/IPTN will be prepared in the 2014/15 financial year.
In line with the National Public Transport Strategy and Action Plan much work has progressed in eThekwini Municipality in terms of accelerating the development of integrated rapid public transport networks. I deem it prudent that I share briefly with the Honourable Members these developments. eThekwini is in the process of detailed planning on some of the key corridors with the aim of implementing some of these public transport improvements within the next 3 years.
The first phase of the project will see the development of high quality public transport linkages utilising all modes in an integrated manner between Bridge City, Durban Central, Pinetown, Umlazi and Umhlanga. There will be a strong emphasis of providing seamless movements across modes by enhancing modal interchanges, electronic ticketing and security as part of the project. In fact the eThekwini Metropolitan Council is piloting a new Automated Fare Collection System (AFC) whereby a Smartcard will be used as the fare payment method on board the buses, replacing the current paper bus coupons.
For the pilot phase, 22 PeopleMover buses have been kitted out with electronic ticketing devices. 1 000 commuters have been issued with “Muvo” branded Smartcards, preloaded with 10 trips for travel on the bus. During the Pilot, commuters will be able to top-up their cards with trips and load them with cash. After the Pilot phase has been successfully concluded, the Muvo card will be rolled out to all PeopleMover commuters from mid-June and to the Durban Transport buses from end July, reaching commuters in Ntuzuma, UMlazi, KwaMashu and Rossburgh.
Lessons learnt from the eThekwini pilot, elsewhere in the country and internationally, will help us assist the direction of a totally integrated transport network for the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Public Transport Infrastructure Improvements
Chairperson, while it is the responsibility of the Municipality to improve public transport infrastructure, where there is no capacity, the department will continue to play this role. The packaging for the private sector involvement in the implementation of public transport intermodal facilities in KwaDukuza and Port Shepstone is on-going. It is anticipated that construction of these facilities will begin this financial year. In 2011/12 financial year, the department has implemented 40 public transport shelters within uMtshezi and Abaqulusi municipalities (20 respectively).
With regards to Estcourt and eMondlo intermodal facilities, a feasibility study, preliminary and detailed designs were commissioned and completed. The department is now engaged in the process of the actual construction of the facilities. In as far as UMzimkhulu facility is concerned, it is envisaged that the actual construction of the facility will commence in 2014/15 financial year. A feasibility study, preliminary designs have been commissioned and completed. The process is now locked at preparation of detailed designs.
Subsidised Public Transport Services
Honourable members, the majority of people are currently not getting public transport service as defined in the public transport agenda because of the system challenges such as modal fragmentation, supply driven system, lack of proper infrastructure, and skewed subsidy amongst others. The department spends about R800 million annually on contracts for subsidised public transport services. Participation in these contracts does not reflect the demographics of the province. In order to transform the industry, the department developed a strategy for transformation of subsidised contract in the Province.
The strategy was approved by Cabinet in April 2011 and will be rolled out over a three (3) year period. The department is working with all stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the strategy. The department has begun the implementation of a transformation strategy in the province. The restoration of service in Port Shepstone and surroundings is one such example. For the first time in the history of subsidised public transport, the department has entered into a contract for provision of subsidised services with Ugu Transport Services PTY (Ltd) which is a company of small bus operators and taxi operators in Port Shepstone.
This is the first 11 empowerment of its kind in public transport in the country. The department also provided an incubation programme to empower these operators to be able to run a subsidised public transport services. The process was not easy and had many challenges, but working together with the operators, the challenges were overcome. We are happy to report that operations commenced on 7 May 2012. We have learnt a number of lessons which will serve to improve the implementation approach in the roll out process.
Dedicated Scholar Transport Service Chairperson, the department took over the function of dedicated subsidised transportation of learners in September 2011, through the signing of Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Education.
The service is currently provided in one hundred and seventy one (171) schools in the province and benefit thirteen thousand (13 000) learners. There is a high demand for the service but the budget is limited. The department will increase the number of learners benefiting as additional budget becomes available in consultation with the Department of Education.
Public Transport Conflict
Public Transport Conflict remains a pervasive threat towards achieving a successful regulation of the public transport industry, especially the minibus taxi industry. While progress has been made in ending conflicts in areas such as Bergville and Umlazi-West MNR, steady steps are taken to ensure that in Newcastle the threats of violence are completely extinguished. The cooperation between the Department of Transport, the South African Police Service (SAPS) Provincial Taxi Team and municipalities affected by conflict has proved to be successful in ending acts of violence where they have occurred and preventing them where threats were detected on time.
Despite continuous challenges, there is relative stability in Mpumalanga owing to processes that are currently unfolding to ensure that the problems plaguing Mpumalanga and District Taxi Association are properly addressed. The Department of Transport continues to make strides in ensuring that the sporadic acts of taxi violence, as recently experienced in Isipingo, are addressed in collaboration with the leadership of the industry in the respective regions where the conflict is taking place.
Partnership In Public Transport improvements
The provision of safe, reliable, affordable and integrated public transport services requires a close working relationship between government, public transport operators and public transport users. The department is still committed to working closely with KwaZulu-Natal SANTACO, KWANABUCO 12 and Structures representing commuters, towards the improvement of our public transport system in the interest of the citizens of this province.
Road Safety Chairperson, let me reiterate that, we have dubbed the year 2012 in this department as, ‘The year of Deepening People’s Activism against Road Accidents’. Our target specifically, is to halve road accidents in this province in 2012 not in 2020. In order to attain this, our attitude must be, accidents are just wrong; people must stop the killing on our roads. Our approach is to say that the high levels of death on our roads are unacceptable. We must not hype the decrease in road accidents, but indicate that it is not significant and therefore not worth writing home about.
Operation Valingozi
Honourable Members, from August 2011 to October 2011 KwaZulu-Natal experienced a spike in the number of road accidents, resulting in the loss of lives of people in an unprecedented manner. To this end the department tabled a cabinet memorandum to the Executive Council as well as an Executive Statement to the Legislature on this matter.
The Executive Council resolved that the Departments of Health, Transport and Social Development work together on this matter. We are continuously making a clarion call to Members of the Legislature, the Executive Council, the Traditional Leadership, the Leadership of this Province at all levels, and the people of KwaZulu-Natal in all their formations to partner with us in fighting this scourge.
We have identified the major cause for these accidents to be the disregard for the rules of the road. The Road Safety Summit held in March 2011 further confirmed this. To this end, we launched Operation Val’ingozi as a strategy to fight against these accidents. We will anchor all our road safety initiatives under this programme.
We will take this programme to its highest level working collaboratively with communities, the labour union movement, business people, traditional leadership, religious leaders, and municipalities. Our first partners in this campaign are POPCRU KwaZulu-Natal. COSATU has also committed itself to the road safety campaign. We call on all political parties, other union formations, social formations to also commit themselves to this noble cause. This integrated approach will see us addressing both crime as well as issues of road safety.
The Operation is aimed at stopping the unnecessary loss of innocent lives of passengers, drivers, legal operators and the affected communities. This will be done by educating our communities and conducting awareness campaigns to road users, to be more cautious of the causes of road accidents. We will also be applying a multidisciplinary approach in law enforcement on permits, operating licences, vehicle road worthiness, driver fitness and driving behaviour in line with the founding principles of the Integrated Traffic Law Enforcement Committee. We will continue with our contribution to tighten the road rules. There is a need for the Justice system to be harsh on road rule transgressions.
We are proud to indicate that some of the judges in KwaZulu-Natal are meting very harsh penalties with regards to road transgressions. We are in support of the national approach with regards to suspensions of drivers licences as it is in line with our thinking as resolved at our road safety summit. We are pleased to learn that our contribution to safety on our roads through the summit has made the national Department of Transport to take the matter of tightening the laws seriously.
As an ideal, we must work towards producing a new driver in KwaZulu-Natal and ultimately in South Africa as a whole if we are serious about safety on our roads. It is important that we embark on an exercise to audit learner driver centres including vehicle driver centres and effectively put corrective measures where necessary. Stricter monitoring mechanisms should therefore be in place to combat fraud and corruption in Driver Licence Testing Centre’s in particular. The centralisation of various sensitive transactions such as the waiver of a Certification of Roadworthiness (CRW) is proving beneficial.
These initiatives have resulted in successfully closing down 15 Vehicle Testing Stations since 2003, as well as deregistering some 53 vehicle examiners for their part in committing fraud in the issuing of fraudulent roadworthy certificates. Furthermore, neighbouring countries like Namibia and Zambia for instance, and neighbouring Provinces like Gauteng and Eastern Cape have tapped on our expertise. The net result of our initiatives has been a drastic decline in the illegal roadworthiness matters in KZN resulting in culprits now having to move to other Provinces for roadworthy fraud to be committed, as per the evidence gleaned from various sources including NaTIS.
We are also targeting cyclists for road safety education as instructed by the summit in view of road accidents involving cyclists. A road safety hand book has been specifically designed to educate cyclists on safe cycling behaviour. Various aspects of bicycle traffic safety are communicated with special focus on obeying traffic rules and the rights and responsibilities of cyclists. We will also work on rewarding our road traffic law enforcement members through a programme of road traffic awards. We believe these officers execute sterling work and deserve such recognition.
The South Africa legislative context advocates for the inclusion of citizens in the decision making process to promote developmental governance.
To this end, the department created the Rural Roads Transport Forums (RRTFs), Community Road Safety Councils (CRSC), Public Transport Passenger Associations (PTPA) as community liaison structures to achieve participatory democracy. The summit identified that these structures and various entities operate in silos on road safety matters. To this end, we are advocating for the amalgamation of these structures and linking them to ward committee structures so as to address the fragmentation and the misalignment of planning and delivery of transport related services by the department and municipalities.
Our approach is premised on the Municipal Systems Act which provides for the establishment of ward committees created to enhance participation of citizens and deepen democracy. Discussions with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs are at an advanced stage in this regard as this department is at the forefront of service delivery at a local level.
Transport Regulation
Honourable Members, on 19 July 2011 we launched the Integrated Traffic Law Enforcement Committee (ITLEC) pursuant to the Justice Crime
Prevention and Security Cluster meeting held on 3 March 2011 and the resolutions of the Road Safety Summit. The success of this however hinges on the co-ordinated approach adopted by all law enforcement agencies. ITLEC is premised on partnerships with other tiers of government for better planning and coordination. Its mandate is to deal decisively with drunken drivers, un-roadworthy vehicles, speed, overloading of passengers and goods, driver and vehicle documentation and is very much committed to ‘catching crime on the highway ’ in an integrated manner.
Such a partnership further assists to decrease response times for emergency services. In a nutshell, the primary objective is to make a safe road environment through stringent enforcement of traffic regulations true to the spirit of, ‘Alufakwa Lubuya Nesaphulamthetho KwaZulu-Natal ’.
In addition to ITLEC the Department of Transport also launched the ‘RED SPOT RESPONSE TEAM’. The team targets red spots or rather areas where accidents are prevalent for enforcement. Linked to this as resolved by the summit is determining hazardous locations so as to minimise pedestrian fatalities.
Interventions on these locations entail putting in place engineering measures coupled with vigorous education, enforcement and constant monitoring of these hazardous locations after corrective action has been carried out. Honourable Members, delegates at the summit raised concerns that there was insufficient information on Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO). We have subsequently engaged our counterparts at national, for an information sharing platform on AARTO in the province on a date soon to be confirmed.
The summit identified the lack of traffic enforcement on weekends and public holidays as a contributing factor on carnages and transgressions on our roads. To this end, the department working collaboratively with our national counterparts is exploring the implementation of the three shift system in law enforcement. We will apprise this House on developments in this regard. In an effort to eradicate road carnages and responding to the “Operation Valingozi Campaign” and the fact that the National Department of Transport has no legislation in place for regulating the driving school industry the department has managed to craft two critical documents.
The first document responds to the formalisation and regulation of the driving school industry. Its objective is to have all driving schools operating within an agreed upon memorandum of understanding. The second document is meant to come up with standards and processes of producing a safe professional driver through an intensive training program. This view led to the birth of an “Instructors Training Manual.” The provincial team is on the verge of rolling out the stakeholder’s consultation workshop throughout the regional spheres and this process is scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2012.
All inputs will be included in the final document. The department recognises the importance of increasing efficiencies within the traffic law enforcement, whilst combating fraud and corruption in our systems. To this end the department will continually invest in high technology equipment such as the Intelligent Roadblock Technology, computerised learners licence testing system, brake testers, speed over distance technology.
It is furthermore, the department’s responsibility to ensure that all vehicles registered and licensed are properly homologated and classified and fall within the ambit of relevant traffic legislation prior to such being reflected on the eNaTIS. This in itself is a drive towards Road Safety in ensuring that crashes and loss of lives that result from un-roadworthy vehicles being put on our roads are dealt with. While performing this activity the department is able to collect revenue. Such accrual presently amounting to more than R1.23 billion per annum which is an increase of more than R150 million in excess of the anticipated revenue of R1.08 billion for the 2011/12 financial year.
In addition to the aforementioned, the department will continue to collect levies on behalf of the Road Traffic Management Corporation as mandated legislatively; and in this regard, expects to reconcile and pay over approximately R61 million for the 2012/13 financial year.
Job Creation and Empowerment Honourable Members, KwaZulu-Natal has contributed immensely in the umber of work opportunities created through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). In fact, it has been identified as the Province with a potential of creating more EPWP work opportunities country wide. Public bodies need to leverage on the availability of the incentive grant by utilising the funds to expand on the programs that create work opportunities.
Notwithstanding the fact that the province has achieved its target nationally and has a potential to create more work opportunities, there has been an element of under reporting within the province which has cost the province large amount of the incentive grant funding which could have been claimed. We are therefore making a clarion call to all participating bodies to report and adhere to all the EPWP requirements in pursuit of job creation, more incentive grant for the province and ultimately a better life for all.
In the quest to optimise our job creation strategies we have apportioned R2 million to an EPWP road safety programme to expand on the school crossing patrol attendants. These attendants assist school children to cross roads in various districts and will be receiving monthly stipend from the incentive grant fund. This also forms part of our Operation Valingozi programme. We have also utilised the incentive grant to pilot block paving project on an access road to Mzamweni High School in Pietermaritzburg employing labour intensive methods. The Zibambele programme continues to be a beacon of hope for the destitute women of the province who would otherwise not get employment in the labour market.
This programme is the main programme through which the department is able to create in excess of 39,000 job opportunities reported in the EPWP. The department is currently in consultation with other departments like the Provincial Treasury to find ways and mechanisms of assisting the Zibambele beneficiaries on their savings. It is with sadness that I have to report to the Legislature that the hugely successful Vukuzakhe programme, which is now being emulated in the other Provinces, has come under attack through a legal challenge by the South African Federation of Civil Engineers.
The department is being taken to Court to defend the constitutionality of this ground breaking programme aimed at creating and empowering previously disadvantaged emerging construction contractors. In line with the principles of good governance, we will evaluate and review our procurement systems in this financial year to determine the value added to the beneficiaries and to the end user.
Conclusion
Honourable members, the reality we face is that more than 70 percent of our road network is beyond its design life and if not attended to immediately, will end up in a total state of disrepair. It will cost the government eighteen times more in the long run to re-construct these roads if not attended to urgently.
The current level of funding for 2012/13 is indicative that there will be an improvement in the reduction of the backlog due to an increase in budget allocation, however it would require at least an additional R3 billion per year over a three year period and an additional R2 billion annually for maintenance to bring the road network back to the required minimum level of service.
Chairperson, we remain concerned about the lives we continue to loose on our roads. We believe that a reduction of fatalities from this year’s Easter Holidays is worth noting amidst the fact that one death is one too many. We will continue with our educational and law enforcement activities throughout the year to ensure that we deepen people’s activism against road carnages and transgressions and that we all become friends of the United Nations Decade of Action for Safety on our Roads. Allow me to salute our traffic officers for their tireless contribution to safety on our roads.
You are truly championing a good cause. At this stage, I would like to thank the marked contribution of the entire team in the Department and all our partners under the stewardship of the former Head Of Department Mr Hlabisa and the now Acting Head of Department Mr Gumbi in the struggle to build a better KwaZulu-Natal. I would be failing in my duty if I do not acknowledge the support of my family, in particular my wife uMankosi as I execute my obligations.
To the government of KwaZulu-Natal, under the stewardship of the Premier we salute your contribution to the marked improvement of the quality of lives of our people. To the organisation that bestowed its confidence in me to lead this portfolio, the African National Congress, I salute you!!!
Allow me chairperson to now table Budget Vote 12 Department of Transport 2012/13 financial year amounting to R7 418 873 000 (R7.4 billion) for approval to be appropriated as follows:
Administration: R261 977 000 (R261 million)
Transport Infrastructure: R5 398 753 000 (R5.3 billion)
Transport Operations: R1 022 862 000 (R1 billion)
Transport Regulation: R670 796 000 (R670 million)
Community based programmes: R64 485 000 (R64 million)
I thank you.
