Date: 29/04/2003
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Ndebele: Sod-turning ceremony for Mainroad P-399
SPEECH BY THE KWAZULU-NATAL MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, MR S'BU NDEBELE, DURING THE SOD-TURNING CEREMONY FOR MAINROAD P-399, Vulndlela, Pietermaritzburg, 29 April 2003
Programme Director
Amakhosi present
His Worship Mr Hloni Zondi, Mayor of Pietermaritzburg
Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa, CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal-Department of Transport
Transport Port Folio Committee Members present
Chairpersons of Vukuzakhe and Zibambele Associations
Chairpersons of CRSC's, RRTF's and Taxi Associations
Members of the Media
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
INTRODUCTION
I greet you all Ladies and Gentlemen and thank you very much for attending this function. I feel greatly honoured to stand in front of you when President Thabo Mbeki's message to the nation during the Freedom Day is still vivid to us. On 27 April 1994 we broke the shackles of Slavery and Apartheid that sought to condemn the vast majority of people into perpetual servitude. We broke the political shackles but the economic ones remained on our feet restraining every form of movement. Since 1994 the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport Department has been gradually unlocking these economic shackles by means of innovative programmes that sought to address rural poverty.
Our efforts in trying to push back the frontiers of poverty have not been going unnoticed. The KwaZulu-Natal department of Transport's innovative programmes have been well received and highly appreciated by the leadership of this country who had this to say.
"Among the most successful capital expenditure programmes to date has been the Road to Wealth and Job Creation sector strategy in KwaZulu-Natal, an innovative model that blends the process of meeting the infrastructure needs of communities with capacity building and economic empowerment. In terms of this project, communities mobilized through Rural Roads Forums are able to take part in planning and prioritising roads. Through a phased development programme and through skills training, emerging contractors are helped to participate in roads construction contracts".
The Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr Trevor Manuel,
MTEF Budget Presentation 2003/2004
"I would like to appeal to provincial departments to ensure that wherever possible their infrastructure projects are designed in such a way that they are as labour intensive as possible.
The KwaZulu-Natal department of Transport has for several years set a very good example in this regard with its Zibambele Roads Maintenance Programme."
The Honourable MEC of KwaZulu-Natal Finance, Mr Peter Miller,
Budget Speech 2003.
The two quotations go beyond just being mere compliments for the success of the KZN Department of Transport's Programmes; they are a challenge and an instruction for us to intensify our job creation efforts and poverty alleviation in this province.
BACKGROUND
You will recall that the results of our Community Access Roads Needs Study highlighted that 60% of our gravel roads were in a poor condition. The study also established that rural road users are the most severely affected with unacceptably high vehicle operating costs that amount to more than R1.29 billion per annum.
When I announced the African Renaissance Roads Upgrading Programme (ARRUP) in my 2001/2002 Budget Speech I made a promise that an amount of R15, 9 million would be set aside for Road P 399, a spine road that cuts across a densely populated area of rural settlements in the Vulindlela District of Umsunduzi Municipality. This 13 kilometre main-road stretching from Edendale to Taylor's Halt provides access to five large schools and to large tracts of land suitable for development. The road also serves the KwaGubeshe timber plantation and a forest station managed by the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs.
Our gathering here at Vulindlela, therefore, is part of our ongoing efforts to improve the economy of KwaZulu-Natal by focussing attention to rural areas. Vulindlela Region has a population of more than three hundred thousand and out of this population; fifty nine per cent of people live below the Minimum Living Level. This means that even if they were to do small scale farming, the whole interest would go towards addressing vehicle-operating costs as a result of the poor state of their main-road to which they are dependent.
THE ROLE OF THE KWAZULU-NATAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT
(African Renaissance Roads Upgrading Programme - ARRUP)
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport will be spending more than R38 million over the next three years on tarring Road P 399 while in the current financial year; we have programmed to spend R12 million on the road. This will also be increased next year as the construction moves into full swing. We plan to complete 2km of surfacing by the end of March 2004. Through this road infrastructure investment we hope to create cost efficient and cost effective transport systems that will in turn facilitate trade between Amakhosi controlled areas identified above and the Durban/Pietermaritzburg industrial node.
It is important to emphasise that since ARRUP Programme is about the upgrading and blacktopping of major transport corridors these initiatives will definitely breathe new life into the economy of Msunduzi Municipality and indeed the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
BLACK ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has received accolades countrywide for its affirmative procurement policies. For two successive years our Department was identified as the only Government Department among the 300 affirmative action companies throughout the country. In all our ARRUP projects we use affirmative procurement policies.
In this project specifically, more than 10 Vukuzakhe Contractors (including women constructors) have been involved. These include:
* Saphinda Construction
* SS Cele Construction
* Magxabhashe Construction
* Thatheni Women's Construction
* Zabazomuzi Construction
* MB Ndlovu Construction
* Bambisisa Construction.
CONCLUSION
In the final analysis, I want to state that President Thabo Mbeki's vision of African Renaissance is beginning to see the light of the day. We do not transport people to the moon but we have made it easier for women and children to reach schools and clinics. This alone is the true meaning of what we celebrated on Sunday 27 April - ACCESS, DEVELOPMENT, PEACE EQUALS DEMOCRACY
I thank you.
Issued by KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport
29 April 2003
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Ndebele: Sod-turning ceremony for Mainroad P-399
SPEECH BY THE KWAZULU-NATAL MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, MR S'BU NDEBELE, DURING THE SOD-TURNING CEREMONY FOR MAINROAD P-399, Vulndlela, Pietermaritzburg, 29 April 2003
Programme Director
Amakhosi present
His Worship Mr Hloni Zondi, Mayor of Pietermaritzburg
Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa, CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal-Department of Transport
Transport Port Folio Committee Members present
Chairpersons of Vukuzakhe and Zibambele Associations
Chairpersons of CRSC's, RRTF's and Taxi Associations
Members of the Media
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
INTRODUCTION
I greet you all Ladies and Gentlemen and thank you very much for attending this function. I feel greatly honoured to stand in front of you when President Thabo Mbeki's message to the nation during the Freedom Day is still vivid to us. On 27 April 1994 we broke the shackles of Slavery and Apartheid that sought to condemn the vast majority of people into perpetual servitude. We broke the political shackles but the economic ones remained on our feet restraining every form of movement. Since 1994 the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport Department has been gradually unlocking these economic shackles by means of innovative programmes that sought to address rural poverty.
Our efforts in trying to push back the frontiers of poverty have not been going unnoticed. The KwaZulu-Natal department of Transport's innovative programmes have been well received and highly appreciated by the leadership of this country who had this to say.
"Among the most successful capital expenditure programmes to date has been the Road to Wealth and Job Creation sector strategy in KwaZulu-Natal, an innovative model that blends the process of meeting the infrastructure needs of communities with capacity building and economic empowerment. In terms of this project, communities mobilized through Rural Roads Forums are able to take part in planning and prioritising roads. Through a phased development programme and through skills training, emerging contractors are helped to participate in roads construction contracts".
The Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr Trevor Manuel,
MTEF Budget Presentation 2003/2004
"I would like to appeal to provincial departments to ensure that wherever possible their infrastructure projects are designed in such a way that they are as labour intensive as possible.
The KwaZulu-Natal department of Transport has for several years set a very good example in this regard with its Zibambele Roads Maintenance Programme."
The Honourable MEC of KwaZulu-Natal Finance, Mr Peter Miller,
Budget Speech 2003.
The two quotations go beyond just being mere compliments for the success of the KZN Department of Transport's Programmes; they are a challenge and an instruction for us to intensify our job creation efforts and poverty alleviation in this province.
BACKGROUND
You will recall that the results of our Community Access Roads Needs Study highlighted that 60% of our gravel roads were in a poor condition. The study also established that rural road users are the most severely affected with unacceptably high vehicle operating costs that amount to more than R1.29 billion per annum.
When I announced the African Renaissance Roads Upgrading Programme (ARRUP) in my 2001/2002 Budget Speech I made a promise that an amount of R15, 9 million would be set aside for Road P 399, a spine road that cuts across a densely populated area of rural settlements in the Vulindlela District of Umsunduzi Municipality. This 13 kilometre main-road stretching from Edendale to Taylor's Halt provides access to five large schools and to large tracts of land suitable for development. The road also serves the KwaGubeshe timber plantation and a forest station managed by the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs.
Our gathering here at Vulindlela, therefore, is part of our ongoing efforts to improve the economy of KwaZulu-Natal by focussing attention to rural areas. Vulindlela Region has a population of more than three hundred thousand and out of this population; fifty nine per cent of people live below the Minimum Living Level. This means that even if they were to do small scale farming, the whole interest would go towards addressing vehicle-operating costs as a result of the poor state of their main-road to which they are dependent.
THE ROLE OF THE KWAZULU-NATAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT
(African Renaissance Roads Upgrading Programme - ARRUP)
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport will be spending more than R38 million over the next three years on tarring Road P 399 while in the current financial year; we have programmed to spend R12 million on the road. This will also be increased next year as the construction moves into full swing. We plan to complete 2km of surfacing by the end of March 2004. Through this road infrastructure investment we hope to create cost efficient and cost effective transport systems that will in turn facilitate trade between Amakhosi controlled areas identified above and the Durban/Pietermaritzburg industrial node.
It is important to emphasise that since ARRUP Programme is about the upgrading and blacktopping of major transport corridors these initiatives will definitely breathe new life into the economy of Msunduzi Municipality and indeed the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
BLACK ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has received accolades countrywide for its affirmative procurement policies. For two successive years our Department was identified as the only Government Department among the 300 affirmative action companies throughout the country. In all our ARRUP projects we use affirmative procurement policies.
In this project specifically, more than 10 Vukuzakhe Contractors (including women constructors) have been involved. These include:
* Saphinda Construction
* SS Cele Construction
* Magxabhashe Construction
* Thatheni Women's Construction
* Zabazomuzi Construction
* MB Ndlovu Construction
* Bambisisa Construction.
CONCLUSION
In the final analysis, I want to state that President Thabo Mbeki's vision of African Renaissance is beginning to see the light of the day. We do not transport people to the moon but we have made it easier for women and children to reach schools and clinics. This alone is the true meaning of what we celebrated on Sunday 27 April - ACCESS, DEVELOPMENT, PEACE EQUALS DEMOCRACY
I thank you.
Issued by KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport
29 April 2003
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