Programme Director
The MEC for Roads, Public Works and Transport
Executive Mayor for Ngaka Modiri Molema Municipality
Traditional and Religious Leaders
Public Transport Industry
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Programme Director,
On behalf of the North West provincial government and its people, I wish to welcome you all to this provincial road summit. This is as a result of the district road summit held over the last months.
The United Nations declared A Decade of Action for road safety (2011-2020) objectives which is to reduce road fatalities throughout the world. The South African government has as a result of fatalities that are happening in our road adopted the action plan and also celebrated the transport month last month under the theme “Towards an Integrated, Safe Public Transport that Reduces Road Fatalities”.
The Decade of Action campaign is premised on the following 5 key pillars:
- Road Safety Management
- Safe Roads and Mobility
- Safer Vehicles
- Safe Road Users and
- Post-crash response
In 2005, October was declared a transport month to allow stakeholders, including the general public, to highlight the advances that the government is making in providing safe and reliable transport infrastructure and services across the country.
Programme Director,
Last year towards the end, President Jacob Zuma announced the establishment of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) - infrastructure development coordination machinery that seeks to address all challenges related to the roll-out of infrastructure in our country.
During his State of the Nation address He gave our country a bold and detailed statement of clear intent by outlining some of the key features of a massive and integrated infrastructural build programme that will help to catalyse a new, more shared, more job-creating growth path in South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as a region.
As per the pronouncement by the President looking at the challenges of roads infrastructure in the province we were promised ten roads by the National government. During the state of the Province address I announced that we will work together with the South African National Road Agency (SANRAL) to tap into the opportunities that were pronounced by the President by speeding up the process. We are proud to announce that SANRAL together with the Department of Transport has increased the roads from ten to twenty seven.
The major challenges that we have in the province is the backlogs when it comes to transport and other infrastructure sectors. One of the challenges is the lack of adequate public transport infrastructure as our province is predominately rural and this was further exacerbated by the absence of an integrated public transport system.
Programme Director,
We are also mindful of the backlog arising from years of the apartheid spatial development, which denied the majority access to safe and reliable transport.
The government’s interventions to improve these conditions include the rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure, the acquisition of new trains, review of current subsidies to benefit different modes of transport, implementation of the rapid bus services in the cities, maintenance of roads and effective law enforcement. A significant amount of financial resources have been set aside to accelerate the infrastructure programme.
As part of the interventions, the key objective of the PICC is to develop a sustained, multi- year pipeline of infrastructure projects with proper prioritisation and phasing. This strategic and phased infrastructure pipeline is enabling both the three sphere of government to shepherd scare resources which are financial resource and skills and also material input.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are all aware of the Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIP) mandate.
SIP 4 is focusing on the unlocking the economic opportunity in our province in which we are given the priority in the National plans on roads and repair on electricity transmission and distribution, and on water, sewage and sanitation infrastructure.
SIP 7 is also focusing on ensuring that there is a much better integration between human settlement planning, public transport infrastructure, and the provision of bulk infrastructure.
I raise these issues in this summit so that the province can grab what our government is doing in order to address the challenges of roads infrastructure.
The ANC policy agrees with the SIPS by saying and I quote: “Our economic transformation programme seeks to promote a geographically inclusive economy. This will require that infrastructure development be rolled out in targeted areas in a phased manner, especially in former homelands. In this context, we must optimize the investments that we have already made in the establishment of Industrial Development Zones through special determinations relating to incentives, access to adequate and affordable basic inputs such as electricity and water,” unquote.
Ladies and Gentlemen
I have no doubt that if we have an effective transport system in the Province this will result as a pillar of growth and development for our people. We have the resources as the North West Province, which means that other sectors of the economy such as agriculture, mining and tourism depends on transport for survival.
Therefore a safe and reliable public transport infrastructure is needed to promote the productivity and competitiveness of this province. Poor transport infrastructure or the lack of it, results in high costs and tariffs.
Bomme le Borre
Transport is the backbone of the country’s economy which means we need proper roads for growth of the economy. Our Provincial roads programme must, as a matter of priority, address provincial economic development, urban mobility and rural access to achieve a balanced road network for the North West Province.
All our outstanding roads should be fixed and I am glad that the department of public works, roads and transport is working towards that.
Government’s commitment to create an integrated public transport is also outlined in the National Development Plan, published by the National Planning Commission.
All the spheres of government our role and responsibility is to ensure that we put in place the best infrastructure that would ensure that our economy in the North West is forever lubricated so far as transport is concerned.
The Agriculture sector as I mentioned before in this province requires a good road network to thrive so that in turn it can continue employing our people and therefore assist us in our fight against poverty and other related social ills.
The mining activities in this province also need to be supported by a good and reliable road network.
Programme director, roads are a catalyst for economic development. But, government alone cannot address all the challenges facing us. It’s the responsibility of all of us the bus and the taxi industry, as well as the general public.
The Provincial government is committed in improving the public transport services by implementing projects and infrastructure initiatives.
The days when resources which were supposed to improve the lives of our people were flushed down the drain or the bottomless pits in this province are over.
The twin demons of greed and corruption have for far too long robbed our people of quality road infrastructure and reduced all of us to a laughing stock.
Those with an insatiable appetite for power and money have corrupted the public service to serve their selfish interests and undermine our people.
We are aware that our resolve to reclaim institutions that should serve the interests of the masses of our people poses a threat to corruption syndicates that are determined to amass as much wealth in the shortest time possible and without having to lift a finger to get money out of the coffers of the state to earn such monies in some instance.
Those who are used to earning money for facilitation of corrupt deals should know that we are closing the taps for dirty money in this province and will not rest until this province pays for its road construction projects and not a cent more than it should be paying.
From the R1 billion saving that the SANRAL option guarantees us for the 1st batch of prioritised primary and economic roads, it is also evident that this option not only brings with it professionalism and project management that will ensure that quality is not compromised but the necessary expertise to ensure that we derive value for money.
As per agreement reached between province and SANRAL recently, R280 million is to be spent on road construction projects over the next 18 months.
We have no interest whatsoever as to who is awarded any tender. Our interest is for quality roads to be delivered within the shortest time possible.
While we are excited that skills development through Construction Education and Training Authority, we are equally excited that 600 jobs for every 500 kilometers will be created for locals.
I have been assured that agreements for supplementary contracts and subcontractors for local contractors have been signed for local contractors to be given opportunities to participate on condition that they will strive to meet the required standards because quality and value for money are non-negotiable for us to reduce the backlog of quality roads.
As we shed our image of roads characterised by potholes, we wish to apologies profoundly to our communities and road users more especially farmers and taxi owners who use the road on a daily basis for the delay that we have had on construction of the Koster-Lichtenburg road.
Though the corruption which we are fighting has cost all of us heavily on that project , we reiterate our appeal for support and assure you that everything is being done to ensure that a contractor is on site by the end of this month for construction to commence at an accelerated pace.
I hope that in our frustration we still concur with G. Edward Griffin’s assertion that “To oppose corruption in government is the highest obligation of patriotism.”
Your opposition to corruption should be supported by united action to uproot corruption wherever it raises its ugly head.
We chose to fight corruption all the way in the interest of good governance and took a principled stance to clean our own house instead of succumbing to unprecedented pressure to abandon the fight so that the network of corruption should continue to thrive.
We appreciate the sympathy and support we received from those who understood that what was at stake was not our egos but a turning point for a departure from corruption.
As we tighten the screw against corruption, price collusion within the tendering system will be our major focus. This province cannot afford to pay three to four times what other provinces are paying for road construction. Our communities deserve quality and safer roads and not expensive but inferior roads.
Those that thought that they were untouchable and that state resources could be looted with impunity should know that its game time. You have reached this far and no further. We are not going to be scared off or succumb to any pressure to abandon the fight against corruption because road users deserve quality and safer roads.
Though the odds may appear to be stacked against us, we will not be intimidated nor succumb to pressure because we know too well that overwhelming majority of people hate corruption as it diverts resources that are supposed to better their lives. We will not be bought because our integrity is not for sale.
We will pursue corruption syndicates relentlessly until those who are looting state resources are behind bars and their properties repossessed.
The declaration to be adopted at the conclusion of this summit should become a blueprint and performance measure that stakeholders and communities would hold the Provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport accountable for road infrastructure delivery and is what i will use to determine whether MEC Elisha is delivering or not.
Our communities and road users deserve quality and safer roads. Working together we can do more for our people in improving and implementing the road infrastructure and win the war against the scourge of corruption.
Ke a leboga.
