Response by Minister of Transport. mme Dipuo Peters, on the occasion of the N3 De Beers Pass community Imbizo, Harrismith Town Hall
MEC for Transport and Community Safety in the Free State, MEC Butana Kompela;
Other MECs Present;
The Mayor of the Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality;
Other Mayors and Councillors present here;
SANRAL CEO, Nazir Ali
CEO and other Board Members of Transport entities;
Members of the Community;
Media;
Ladies and gentlemen
I greet you all,
Today marks day three since the commencement of the government Imbizo Focus week which started on the 7th April 2015 and ends on the 12th April 2015.
As the Minister of Transport at the commencement of the Imbizo Focus week programme, amongst others, I conducted unannounced visits to the Ekurhuleni - Springs and the Germiston Drivers License Testing Centres respectively.
I further inspected the Germiston and the Park Station upgraded Infrastructure and also took a metro rail train ride from Park Station to Leralla train station in Thembisa. This was in response to the call by an ANC social media fan who challenged me to travel on this train line in order to have the first hand information and experience on challenges and achievements that we thus far recorded in this sector as the ANC led government. I took up the challenge and I can confidently say that indeed “together we have moved South Africa forward” and that more still needs to be done.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Imbizo platform is the bedrock of government’s face-to-face engagement with citizens, which creates an opportunity for people from all walks of life to share their ideas, hopes and frustrations with national, provincial or local leadership.
At the apex of this outreach programme is the Presidential Siyahlola programme, which allows the President to monitor and give personal attention to difficulties being experienced in various parts of the country.
As we do so during this year, our aim is not just to inform South Africans about what is happening around them, but to involve our people in adding to the Good Story our country is able to tell.
At the same time, we know that the fight against poverty, unemployment demands intensive communication of socio-economic opportunities created by government, for vulnerable citizens and communities, in terms of the key priorities of government.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am here today to hear from you sharing your ideas, hopes and frustrations so that together we can add to our country good story.
Let us all remember that the ANC led government is a people centred government, which at the core of its principle is participatory democracy where people are given the opportunity to participate in crafting their own future. Off-course this is done under the guidance of your united, progressive and democratic ANC led government.
Today as South Africans, we have a peoples’ Parliament where ordinary South Africans now have unprecedented access to legislatures and their representatives. Our law-making is through consultative processes and often includes public hearings.
There are instances where legislatures hold hearings in far-flung towns and villages so that they make sure that even the most remote voices are heard. Indeed, Our people have now a big say in formal government structures.
In addition, The National Development Plan (NDP) calls on all South Africans to be part of an active citizenry and to take greater collective responsibility for their own development.
Led by the ANC government, the NDP is a call to all South Africans to unite behind a common goal of building a democratic and prosperous country.
Programme Director,
Delivering the January 8 statement at Cape Town Stadium during the ruling African National Congress's 103rd anniversary celebrations, President Jacob Zuma said to achieve radical social and economic transformation, it is important for the country to use the Freedom Charter as a guide to shaping policies and legislation that are aimed at serving all South Africans.
The President declared 2015 as the Year of the Freedom Charter and Unity in Action. He called on all sectors of society to embrace the Freedom Charter as this year also marks the 60th anniversary of the historic document, which was penned in Kliptown, Soweto, in 1955.
As we are gathered here today, we are to realize one of the many principles of the Freedom Charter that states that ‘the people shall govern’.
I am here today to listen together with my colleagues from the Free State province, both at the provincial and the local sphere of government supported by the state machinery, in this instance the South African National Road Agency and the Department of Transport officials.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
All me to borrow from the words of the South African disability activists Michael Masutha and William Rowland, who had in turn heard the phrase used by an unnamed East European activist, saying “NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US” We are here today as government to listen to you and to plan together with you.
The purpose of our Imbizo today is to do three things:
- Engage on the N3 De Beers Pass Route progress;
- The Development of the Harrismith Freight Logistics Hub; and to
- Provide the way forward on the process leading towards the attainment of our plans.
Programme Director,
Let me give context to our engagement today, as early as in 1997, the urgent development of Harrismith by the Council of the then Local Municipality and in 2005, the Free State Provincial Government through its Provincial Growth and Development Strategy, identified the Harrismith Logistics Hub as a key driver for economic growth in the Free State.
Subsequently, the Harrismith Hub became part of a key nodal point of the national key corridors (Durban-Free State-Gauteng Corridor) identified by the 2005 National Freight Logistics Strategy approved by Cabinet.
In 2006, the Hub was listed as a government priority through the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA).
On July 04, 2007, the Maluti-A-Phofung took a resolution to put a portion of land in Hardustria under moratorium and reserved it for the development of the Hub.
The land is approximately 700 000 sq.m (90 hactres), adjacent to the N3 (the Durban-Free State-Gauteng Logistics and Industrial corridor) and this moratorium still stands to date. There have been proposed zoning of the hub throughout the undertaken feasibility studies, which commonly indicates the following:
- Bonded warehouse
- Container terminal
- Truck stop, etc
The last indicative figure (2007) of heavy vehicles per annum using Harrismith as its final destination was 1 631 296 to Harrismith and 1 625 481 from Harrismith and then the corridor used to have over 3600 trucks per day, which can be over 5000 trucks per day to date.
With the launch of SIP2 on 18 July 2012, through the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC), Harrismith Logistics Hub became clearer on the radar screen of the national agenda of government, and the intervention on the N3 bypass and the solution thereof became a mandate of the Durban-Free State-Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor (SIP).
The SIP2 objectives, amongst others are the following:
- Strengthen the logistics and transport corridor between SA’s main industrial hubs;
- Improve access to Durban’s export and import facilities;
- Raise efficiency along the corridor
- Integrate the Free State Industrial Strategy activities into the corridor
- Integrate the currently disconnected industrial and logistics activities as well as marginalised rural production centers surrounding the corridor that are currently isolated from the main logistics system.
It is with noting that, Harrismith Hub forms part of the 17 SIP2 projects and needs to be delivered as such.
On the other side the N3 De Beers Pass through the current Ministerial Agreement, the N3 De Beers Pass Constrution must be implemented in 2015, with Harrismith Hub also being part of the Agreement. This therefore means that, as the Minister of Transport, I must deliver on both projects, which an alignment and a win-win solution as indicated earlier.
Ladies and gentlemen,
On Progress achieved to date
A Business Case to SIP2 has been developed and approved by the Steering Committee, which includes Harrismith Hub. The Hub and Tsiame Development (which is an Industrial Park led by the Dti), which is located in Industriqwa now forms part of the Maluti-A-Phofung SEZ and an alignment of the two process is underway.
The current feasibility study for the Harrismith Hub, which is a Public Private Sector Participation process of the National Tresaury is underway, with Transaction Advisors having been appointed is expected to be completed in June 2015.
Through the SIP2 (Durban-Free State-Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor) Steering Committee held in February 2015, a resolution was taken the a Task Team be appointed to deal with this long outstanding N3 De Beers Pass and Harrismith Hub matter and an alignment towards a win-win solution be found and reported back by June/July 2015. This Task Team process has laready started.
On the Tsiame development, the feasibility studies for the Vehicle Distribution Centre and the Food Processing Plan is being reviewed and the procurement process for the perimeter fence has been finalised.
In July 2013, the then Ministers of Transport and Public Enterprises (Ministers Ben Martins and Malusi Gigaba) undertook a SIP2 Stakeholder Engagement process. Some of the issues highlighted in this Ministerial Stakeholder Engagement on the Harrismith Hub include the following:
- Establishment of a partnership between Free State Departments of Transport and Economic Development with Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality;
- Transnet committed to the development of an intermodal terminal facility;
- No pronouncement on the N3 by-pass untill Tshiame and Harrismith Hub technical options are complete;
- SANRAL CEO should meet with MEC of Transport in the Free State to find a solution on the N3 by-pass;
- Government and Business develop a joint Master Plan for SIP2; and the
- Continuous frequency of engagement of Government and Private Sector.
As government we note and have taken due considerations in addressing the challenges as you express them here today; particularly issues relating to the provincial perception that N3 De Beer Pass will adversely impact on the current socio-economic conditions of the Harrismith Town and the broader Maluti-a-Phofung precinct.
I am here to assure you that governement through the SIP2 Task Team will find a win-win solution to the Harrismith Hub and N3 De Beers Pass developments.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In conclusion, as we all know that the year 2015 marks 60 years of a historic moment in our history, when South Africans from all walks of life adopted the Freedom Charter in 1955, in Kliptown, Soweto.
As they declared amongst other things, that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people.
That was a powerful, visionary and reconciliatory statement which set the tone for the non-racial democracy we have established.
It remains the hope and wish of the ANC led government that together we move our South Africa forward.
Let us make sure that by the implementation of the Harrsimith Hub and the N3 De Beers Pass develoment will change the lives of the people of this region and South Africa to the better.
I thank you.
