CAPE TOWN, 27 MARCH 2001
TOURISM WITH ITS POTENTIAL FOR JOB-CREATION AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS, IS ONE OF THE PRIORITY SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY.
DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, MR. MONWABISI KALAWE;
MR. MASHUDU RAMANO, CHAIRPERSON OF THE ACSA BOARD;
MR. FRANCESCO PAPPALARDO PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AEROPORTI DI ROMA;
MR. JUSTIN WILLIAMSON, ACTING MD - ACSA;
MR. SIPHO MSIKINYA, DIRECTOR-GENERAL: TRANSPORT
MEMBERS OF THE ACSA BOARD;
DISTINGUISHED FRIENDS;
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
IT IS A GREAT HONOUR TO JOIN YOU THIS AFTERNOON IN THIS CELEBRATION OF ACHIEVEMENT, A CELEBRATION OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES - THE OPENING OF A NEW INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL OF THE CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
MAY I EXTEND A SPECIAL WORD OF WELCOME TO MR. PAPPALARDO AND HIS COLLEAGUES FROM ADR, OUR STRATEGIC EQUITY PARTNER. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION.
IN CONSTRUCTING THIS MAGNIFICENT NEW INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL, THE AIRPORTS COMPANY OF SOUTH AFRICA HAS DISPLAYED FORESIGHT, INITIATIVE AND CONFIDENCE IN CAPE TOWN. IT HAS COMBINED ENTERPRISE WITH BOLDNESS BEFITTING THE UNIQUE BEAUTY OF CAPE TOWN TO CREATE A BEATIFUL FACILITY THAT ALL SOUTH AFRICANS CAN BE PROUD OF. THE OCCASION TODAY HIGHLIGHTS THE POSITIVE IMPACT THIS INVESTMENT WILL HAVE ON THE ECONOMIES OF CAPE TOWN, THE WESTERN CAPE AND INDEED SOUTH AFRICA.
THOUGH THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT CITY WILL DERIVE THE MOST IMMEDIATE BENEFITS, ESPECIALLY THOSE ENGAGED IN TOURISM ACTIVITIES, THE POSITIVE EFFECTS WILL SPREAD MUCH WIDER. THE IMPACT WILL BE FELT IN THE PROVINCE'S TOURISM INDUSTRY, BUSINESS GENERALLY AND FURTHER AFIELD AS VISITORS TO THE CITY AND THEIR FAMILIES TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT OUR COUNTRY'S UNDOUBTED ATTRACTIONS.
THE CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, PARTICULARLY THIS TERMINAL BRINGS SIGNIFICANT NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. TOURISM, WITH ITS POTENTIAL FOR JOB-CREATION AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS, IS ONE OF THE PRIORITY SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY. THIS TERMINAL ADDS STRENGTH TO THE INDUSTRY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL POSES A CHALLENGE TO CAPE TOWN. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT CAPE TOWN WILL ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE.
TODAY AS WE CELEBRATE THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THIS WONDERFUL FACILITY, LET US ALSO MAKE A PLEDGE, AS CITIZENS OF CAPE TOWN, OF WESTERN CAPE; AND OF SOUTH AFRICA AS A WHOLE: TO JOIN HANDS, LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, REGIONALLY (SADC) AND INTERNATIONALLY; TO WORK TOGETHER AS GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY, IN ORDER TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF THIS MAGNIFICENT INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL. THE OPENING OF THIS NEW TERMINAL REFLECTS THE SUCCESS OF AN IMPORTANT COMPANY IN A SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY IN, WHICH SOUTH AFRICA HAS MADE ITS MARK. IT ALSO SYMBOLISES THE ENORMOUS BENEFITS THE COMING OF DEMOCRACY HAS BROUGHT TO SOUTH AFRICA.
REGULAR AIR TRAVELLERS AND AIRPORT VISITORS WILL HAVE NOTICED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TERMINAL WAS UNDERTAKEN IN PHASES. THIS HAS MINIMISED THE INCONVENIENCE TO OUR TRAVELLING PUBLIC. PLANNING ORIGINALLY COMMENCED IN MID-1997, WITH CONSTRUCTION STARTING IN APRIL 1999. THE MAJOR COMPLICATING FACTOR DURING CONSTRUCTION WAS THAT THE AIRPORT OPERATIONS HAD TO CONTINUE UNINTERRUPTED. THIS RESULTED IN A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF AFTER HOURS WORK AS WELL AS RESTRICTED WORKING HOURS.
I WANT TO THANK THE COMPANIES INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT.
I AM PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS A LARGE NUMBER OF BLACK-OWNED ENTERPRISES INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION WORK OF THIS TERMINAL. STUDENTS FROM THE PENINSULA TECHNIKON (PENTECH), OVERWHELMINGLY BLACK ALSO PARTICIPATED AND LEARNT AT THE SAME TIME. I MAY SAY THAT EMPOWERMENT AND TRAINING OF THE HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED CONSTITUTES IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF THE CRITERIA, WHICH ALL SUCCESFUL CONTRACTORS HAD TO SATISFY.
AN AMOUNT OF R200 000.00 WAS SET ASIDE FOR THE TRAINING OF STUDENTS. A TOTAL OF 12 STUDENTS WERE EMPLOYED OUT OF THIS BUDGET AND WERE ALLOCATED TO BOTH ON-SITE DUTIES AS WELL AS TRAINING IN THE OFFICES OF THE ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, ETC WITH WHOM THEY TRAINED. THEY SPENT ONE YEAR ON THIS PROJECT. I AM VERY GREATFUL FOR THIS INVESTMENT IN OUR YOUNG AND FUTURE LEADERS AND BUSINESSPERSONS.
DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, WE NOW HAVE A WORLD CLASS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY, WHICH CAN COMFORTABLY MANAGE ABOUT 1000 PASSENGERS PER HOUR. EIGHTEEN WORK STATIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IN THE IMMIGRATION HALL TO EFFECIENTLY FACILITATE THE ARRIVAL OF INTERNATIONAL VISITORS.
CAPE TOWN IS A PRIME HOLIDAY AND CONFERENCE DESTINATION IN AFRICA AND IS PRESENTLY IN THE TOP 27 IN POPULARITY WORLDWIDE. I AM TOLD THAT THIS AIRPORT CURRENTLY HANDLES 4.6 MILLION PASSENGERS PER ANNUM.
THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TRAVEL AGENTS (IATA) FORECASTS THAT BY 2014 THIS WILL ESCALATE TO 12 MILLION PER ANNUM AND BY 2030 THIS FIGURE IS EXPECTED TO REACH 24 MILLION. WITH SOUTH AFRICA BEING ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH REGIONAL PLAYERS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE SADC PROTOCOL, WHICH SEEKS TO INTEGRATE TRANSPORT SYSTEMS OF THE REGION AND ADVANCE REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROSPERITY, THE NUMBER WILL GO UP EVEN FURTHER.
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRPORTS ARE CONSCIOUSLY BEING TRANSFORMED FROM DULL, POORLY EQUIPPED OPERATIONS TO DYNAMIC AND TECHNOLOGICALLY SMART INSTITUTIONS. THEY HAVE THUS SERVED TO CONNECT MILLIONS OF TOURISTS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE TO 33 CITIES WITHIN AFRICA, AS WELL AS 30 MAJOR CITIES IN THE WORLD.
WE ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE OF THE MAJOR ROLE THAT THE AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRY PLAYS IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. IT ALSO PROVIDES THE FOUNDATION FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISM. EVERY YEAR 1.6 BILLION PASSENGERS RELY ON AIR TRANSPORT FOR BUSINESS AND VACATION TRAVEL. ABOUT 40% OF THE WORLD'S MANUFACTURED EXPORTS BY VALUE ARE TRANSPORTED BY AIR. WORLDWIDE THIS INDUSTRY EMPLOYS SOME 30 MILLION PEOPLE AND GENERATES SOME 1.36 BILLION DOLLARS INCOME.
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY 2010 THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAVELLING BY AIR WOULD REACH 2.3 BILLION. WE WANT TO PARTICIPATE MEANINGFULLY AND INCREASINGLY IN THIS INDUSTRY. THAT IS WHY ACSA HAS COMMITTED AND SPENT OVER R1 BILLION ON AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. A FURTHER R1.8 BILLION HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THESE AIRPORTS RELATED ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE RAISED OUR COUNTRY'S PROFILE ON THE WORLD STAGE. WE ARE TODAY BASKING IN THE SUCCESS OF OUR AIRPORTS COMPANY, WHICH HAS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS BEEN A BIG SUCCESS STORY DRAWING PRAISE AND RECOGNITION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANIES IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY SUCH AS SAA, THE AIR TRAFFIC AND NAVIGATION SERVICES COMPANY AND ACSA NOT ONLY POSITIONING THEMSELVES RELATIVE TO OTHER WORLD CLASS PLAYERS IN THE MARKET, BUT ACTIVELY SEEKING ALLIANCES WITH OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE REGION.
IT IS WITH PRIDE THAT I CONGRATULATE THE ACSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ESPECIALLY THE CHAIRMAN, MR. RAMANO, THE ACSA MANAGEMENT AND ITS STAFF AT EVERY LEVEL FOR THEIR GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS OF THE AIRPORTS COMPANY AND THE SUCCESFUL COMPLETION OF THIS WORLD-CLASS TERMINAL.
A SPECIAL WORD OF THANKS IS DUE TO OUR STRATEGIC EQUITY PARTNER, ADR ITS PRESIDENT, MR PAPPALARDO AND THE REST OF THE ADR TEAM FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA. I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT ADR PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE NEW LOOK TERMINALS AT SOUTH AFRICAN AIRPORTS.
DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, ACSA IS CLEARLY PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN VARIOUS WAYS IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE BUILDING OF OUR ECONOMY AND OUR NATION. OUR GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THAT THE UPGRADING AND CONSTRUCTION OF ALL TRANSPORT FACILITIES IS VITAL FOR OUR GROWING ECONOMY, FOR THE SADC REGION AND TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR PEOPLE. WE AS GOVERNMENT ALSO WORK ON THE BASIS THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY DEPENDS ON A PARTNERSHIP NOT ONLY BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BUT AMONGST ALL SOCIAL SECTORS.
INDEED, WE DO REGARD THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS AN INDISPENSABLE PARTNER IN THE RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE REGION FOR JOB-CREATION AND IN HELPING TO REDUCE THE BACKLOG OF SERVICES. THROUGH PARTNERSHIP, WE CAN BUILD A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY AND BEYOND ITS BORDERS.
IT IS THEREFORE A DISTINCT PLEASURE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THIS MAGNIFICENT INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL IN WHICH WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE.
WE SHOULD TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WISH ACSA, AND ALL THEIR STAFF AS WELL AS OUR ADR FRIENDS CONTINUED SUCCESS IN THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVOURS, BOTH IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ABROAD. ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS TO DATE, AND FOR THE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION WHICH THIS HAS BROUGHT.
IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE TO DECLARE THE NEW INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL OPENED.