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It is reported that the ANC government is contemplating the development of a high-speed railway system; this is supposedly to cut transport costs and boost the economy. This rationale however seems convenient and it raises an important question: Is spending (potentially) R1 trillion on a bullet train the best utilisation of taxpayers' money?

These kinds of projects appear to be no more than cash incentive schemes for the benefit of the ANC and its cronies - the Eskom/Hitachi deal comes to mind; the Arms Deal kickbacks, the PetroSA's 'donation' and also those less pricey fringe benefits such as luxury cars and deluxe hotel accommodation.

The ANC Government seems to favour these grand-scale projects, whilst forgetting that the needs of our people are things like safety, food, health, housing and education. It is patently clear that the ANC has its governmental priorities wrong.

The UDM wants our Government to get back to the basics; a bullet train does not qualify as a basic.