8 November 1999
Thank you, Chairperson,
The Premier of Kwazulu-Natal, Dr Lionel Mtshali,
MEC for Transport Mr Sbu Ndebele,
Honourable Members of the Kwazulu-Natal Cabinet and the Legislature,
Mayor of Durban, Honourable Obed Mlaba,
Other Mayors represented here today,
Representatives of the SA National Roads Agency,
Business partners,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Chairperson, we are gathered here today to celebrate the official opening of the Durban Southern Gateway Project (Phase 1). It represent part of the delivery of our mandate, "Building a Better Life", as the country’s Transport Authority. When President Tha bo Mbeki gave his State of the Nation Address on the 25th of June this year, he committed his administration to an accelerated delivery of services to all our people.
Today, the people of Umlazi, who utilise this road on a daily basis, can celebrate and be assured of a congestion-free entry point to their residential areas and free access to their place of employment and recreational centres.
After this country’s first democratic elections five years ago, a major process of policy formulation and consultation was embarked on in the Department of Transport to align the planning and provision of transport with the needs of all our citizens. Out o f that process, the South African National Roads Agency (SANRA) was established by an Act of Parliament to address and facilitate the development, maintenance and rehabilitation of roads.
Over the past 19 months, the SANRA has been tasked with management of assets of an estimated value of more than R135 billion. This involved constructing roads and maintaining over 7000km of national road network, which includes tolled and non-tolled road.
The costs of maintaining roads has risen drastically. This cost escalation has exacerbated the inherited backlog in terms of building primary roads, particularly in the rural areas and the upgrading and maintenance of the existing road network. It is our b elief that unless there is co-operation and partnerships to address this problem, we shall be faced with sub-standard roads, impaired economic growth and low quality of life.
The SANRA has been, over the past months, engaged in public/private partnership in the form of build operated and transfer (BOT) model and other various models to address the problem.
Today, there are two concessionaires who have been granted concessions to build and operate approximately 800km of national road network and after 30 years transfer it back to State at certain specified conditions and at no cost to Government. This kind of input from private sector is vital to the development of the country and its people, and our region as a whole.
The funding of this project has been, I believe, quite unique. In a way it has not only been a Public-Private Partnership but also a Public-Public Partnership. The is that the project has four co-funders, National Government, SANRA Agency, Provincial Gover nment and Kwazulu-Natal DoT. The apportionment of costs was based on a user benefit basis. I commend the entities involved on this approach.
This opening today marks the another phase in the implementation of our partnership projects bringing the delivery of services which our people can be proud of. The Durban’s Southern Gateway is an achievement not only for the Umlazi community and surroundi ng areas but for the country as a whole. Tourists, business men and women alike will benefit greatly from this development because it will enhance, facilitate and promote economic activity in the Province.
The opening of this gateway today is not a coincidence and it could not have come at a better time. This road network, feeds one of the busiest airports in the country, the Durban International Airport.
This week, we are witnessing yet again a number of international delegates coming into Durban for the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting and related events to be held at the International Convention Center (ICC), just up this road. As we welcome our g uests and all participants, we pride ourselves to be able to deliver this project at this time.
In addition, we are currently preparing ourselves for the new millennium. Many people will be flocking to the province, and this gateway will reduce high traffic volumes, bottlenecks and frustrations. There will also be a cost saving all-round. The develop ment of a viable road network and infrastructure is the cornerstone to economic and social upliftment.
The completion of this phase of the project has brought to fruition a much needed improvement to the traffic flows in the vicinity of the Durban International Airport. The project has ensured that road commuters bound for Umlazi in particular have a more d irect free flowing route from the Southern Freeway to Mangosuthu Highway, whilst access to and from Durban International Airport has been simplified and made more direct. The morning peak hour traffic congestion that used to occur on the ramp from the N2 n orthbound to the Southern Freeway has been eliminated with the addition of a third lane on the Southern Freeway.
I have been informed that the construction of this R96.4 million project briefly comprised the following main activities:
A major factor in the construction of this project has been the accommodation of traffic and the difficulties associated with moving road building plant and materials within such a complex road network. The attention to detail and co-operation between site staff from the consultants and contractors, and representatives from the various road traffic authorities led to the award for "Safety in Road Construction in 1998", presented by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, being bestowed upon the project.
As government, we would like to see more meaningful black economic empowerment and participation through SMME’s in the construction of these projects. Consistent with government notion to transformation we encourage active participation and involvement of the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME’s) in the construction and engineering business.
Transfer of skills and resources to SMME’s is critical to ensure that all sectors of our society become beneficiaries of economic growth and development and the also facilitation of blacks participating in the economic activity. Together we must take initi atives to empower all sections of our communities to start their business ventures. It is us who must show even those already established in the economic mainstream that we are committed to labour standards and basic rights of working people. Our responsib ility lies with the full understanding that we have urban and rural poverty, the fight against HIV/AIDS and that such social problems should be tackled by all of us as a patriotic partnership against socio-economic disorders.
It is also important to note that policies of apartheid moved disempranchised, the poor and the voiceless away from job opportunities. These policies deprived the majority of people of a say in transport matters and has exposed people to vast walking dista nces in very unsafe circumstances.
May I take advantage of this occasion to condemn the recent outbreak of taxi violence at Empangeni. Such violence cannot and will not be tolerated. I commend the province, in particular Minister S’bu Ndebele, for the rapid response and tough action taken. I also thank the Police in effecting quick arrests and I trust that the law will take its course.
I fully support all the steps taken by Minister Ndebele. I’m informed that there has been a breakthrough in the talks to settle the dispute. I call upon all concerned to renounce violence and to resolve differences through channels which have been created.
The overwhelming majority of taxi operators in this province are not involved in this violence. They have been fully involved in the current transformation processes involving the taxi industry. I urge all taxi operators and their organisations to throw th eir weight behind these Noble processes. The processes of registration, legalisation, regulation and recapitalisation of the min-bus taxi industry will brig peace, safety and economic benefits to communities and taxi operators alike.
Let us not tolerate violence of any kind which only undermines these processes.
As we celebrate the official opening of the Durban Southern Gateway Project (Phase 1) today, I mentioned the tragic events at Empangeni because a number of people lost their lives. I convey my condolences to the bereaved families. I wish to assure them tha t we regard eliminating violence as top priority.
In conclusion, I want to say as National Minister that, in conjunction with the nine MEC’s of transport from all the provinces, government will focus its resources and energy on intensifying law enforcement initiatives in an endeavour to ensure that all ou r people can enjoy safety and security.
Thank you.