Harrismith, 28 May 1999
Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for inviting me to open the first fully-fledged one-stop truck service centre for long-distance trucking industry.
Strategically located on the N3, the Highway Junction begins to address the severe lack of facilities for truckers throughout our national road network and the problems of drivers sleeping in toll-gates or in mid-town facilities, which forces them to deviate from their route.
The Highway Junction acknowledges that our long-distance drivers are an increasingly discerning clientele with particular demands for security, a good sleep, high-quality food and spotlessly clean facilities.
It will provide the much-needed infrastructure to the thousand of heavy vehicles travelling this route daily.
I am particularly pleased that in addition to the facilities offered, that Engen, through its ‘caring for the driver' programme, will offer comprehensive driver and AIDS training here from next month.
I welcome Engen's commitment to fighting the AIDS epidemic along with its partners in the road freight sector.
Engen has joined the Trucking Against AIDS initiative that was launched last month in Johannesburg.
The road freight sector and its associated stakeholders were the first business sector in South Africa to forge ahead in a partnership with government, employers, unions and NGOs on board to tackle a crisis that is unfolding in our country.
The crisis of HIV/AIDS cannot be dismissed as a health issue because this epidemic is peculiar in that it tears into the social and economic fabric of our society indiscriminately.
It can make orphans where there once were families; it can de-skill and decimate a labour force as it picks its way though the population; it can reduce the rate of economic growth as resources are diverted to nurse the sick; and in the continued absence of a cure, it will confront generations to come even if we are successful in our prevention campaigns now as an HIV-positive person today becomes people living with full-blown AIDS in years for come.
The ‘Trucking Against Aids' project is grounded on the strategy of peer educators, which has been successful in other countries. The training of the trainers, who will go into the trucking companies and on to the road and to the truck stops, has started and this is where a facility like the Highway Junction can play an important role.
Later management workshops will take place, and I would appeal to all of you to attend. The clearest way you can show your commitment to the fight against AIDS in your company is to take two hours out of your programme and attend. The fight against AIDS will be won if we lead from the front.
The campaign against AIDS is about people making informed choices about their lives. It is about living positively: whether or not you are infected or not, we are all affected by HIV/AIDS.
‘Trucking Against AIDS' is part of a larger iniative to mobilise sector by sector in the Transport industry, using our infrastructure and organisation, for campaigns that will carry the message of awareness and prevention; and to build the capacity in the industry and in our country to live positively with HIV/AIDS.
It is built on the foundation of the partnerships of our society: government and the private sector; workers and management; transport operators and commuters. And it is motivated by the concern we feel for our customers.
Transport has a dynamic role to play as millions of people walk through our infrastructure daily as they catch planes, trains, buses and taxis. They pass our trucks on the roads, they go through our toll plazas. The list is endless and the challenge is great.
I have no illusions how tough this issue will be for the entire road fraternity as AIDS throw out particular challenges in the workplace that will test the strategic management of staff and resources on both sides, as well as their compassion.
But what I do know is that government, companies and their employees must lock arms and not fists on this issue. We have to the find the way forward where people can disclose their status without fear or prejudice.
Otherwise we will drive this epidemic further underground.
If our truckers cannot live positively with HIV/AIDS knowing that their companies will not victimise them, they will carry on working long hours further depleting their immune systems with the stress of operating heavy vehicles on all too often congested roads.
And you can choose now where you draw the battleline: you can be on the same side against AIDS or AIDS can divide you.
AIDS is not a political issue, and it is certainly not a rallying call for other causes. It is a fundamental challenge to all South Africans because it is about human lives, and how we respond to these issues is how we build our nation.
That is the crisis, but that is also the challenge that this epidemic presents our country.
If we get it right as we build together, I have not doubt that we can start to turn tide. But we must all play our role as winning the war against HIV/AIDS requires the effort of all South Africans.
In conclusion I would like to congratulate Engen for have the foresight to build this facility as you are contributing to the growth and development of an important sector in our economy as you meet the needs of our truckers for safety, food and shelter.
I would also like to take this opportunity to also thank Engen for the support that it has given to the ARRIVE ALIVE road safety campaign.
This facility also has great potential for fostering road safety in combatting killers on our roads such as fatigue; and I hope that we can extent the partnership we forged in the ARRIVE ALIVE campaign to the Highway Junction.
I wish you well and that all drivers who use your facility will ARRIVE ALIVE and keep the wheels of this vital industry moving.
I thank you.