Gallagher Estate, Midrand, South Africa, 12 August 2002
"Integrating African railway systems in order to form an internationally competitive network"
Chairperson,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen
I THANK TERRAPIN FOR THE INVITATION TO BE PART OF THIS IMPORTANT ANNUAL CONFERENCE. I AM PLEASED TO ADDRESS THIS PRESTIGIOUS EVENT FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE ITS INCEPTION FIVE YEARS AGO. A SPECIAL WORD OF WELCOME TO ALL OUR INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS AND EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE RAIL INDUSTRY. I WISH YOU ALL A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE.
CHAIRPERSON, THIS CONFERENCE TAKES PLACE AT THE TIME WHEN WE ENTER INTO AN IMPORTANT MONTH OF AUGUST WHERE WE HOST THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (WSSD). THE SUCCESS OF THE WSSD WHICH WILL BE HELD FROM AUGUST 26 TO SEPTEMBER 4 THIS YEAR, WILL NOT ONLY DEPEND ON THE PROGRAMME OF ACTION AGREED UPON BY THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS, BUT ALSO ON THE COMMITMENTS OF EACH GOVERNMENT'S CIVIL SOCIETY AND BUSINESS SECTOR.
CONCRETE OUTCOMES FROM THE SUMMIT ARE IMPERATIVE IN A WORLD IN WHICH MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER BEFORE LIVE IN SUB-HUMAN POVERTY AND WHERE THE ECONOMIC SHAPE-UP CONTINUES TO SIDELINE AND ISOLATE AFRICA AND THE REST OF THE SOUTH. WE WILL BE GOING TO JOHANNESBURG - THE SANDTON CONVENTION CENTRE, CONSCIOUS OF THE REALITY THAT THE CHALLENGE OF ERADICATING POVERTY AND HALVING THE NUMBER OF IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE BY 2015 IS A CHALLENGE WE AS GOVERNMENTS CANNOT TACKLE ALONE.
THIS TRANSLATES INTO A CALL FOR THE UNDIVIDED COMMITMENT OF ALL PARTNERS BEHIND THE PURSUIT OF THE AGREEMENTS THAT WILL EMERGE FROM THE SUMMIT. WE GO TO JOHANNESBURG COGNISANT THAT ECONOMIC GROWTH, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION GO HAND IN HAND, AND THEREFORE BUSINESS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO MAKE THIS PARTNERSHIP A REALITY.
THE JOHANNESBURG GATHERING SHOULD RESTORE HOPE AND CERTAINTY AMONG PEOPLE OF THE WORLD AND SHOULD LEAVE A MESSAGE THAT TEN YEARS FROM NOW, GOVERNMENTS WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK AT THE SUMMIT WITH PRIDE AND SAY THAT IT WAS A LANDMARK IN THEIR EFFORTS TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ALL. I HOPE THIS CONFENRENCE WILL ALSO MAKE IT CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE REALISATION OF THESE GOALS.
CHAIRPERSON, THE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF RAIL SYSTEMS IN AFRICA TOOK PLACE UNDER COLONIAL RULE. THE OBJECTIVES OF THESE POWERS WERE NOT SO MUCH THE ADVANCEMENT OF AFRICAN INTERESTS, AS THE MAXIMISATION OF PROFITS FOR THE INHABITANTS OF EUROPE.
THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT AFRICA DID NOT BENEFIT AT ALL, BUT WITH THE ADVANTAGE OF HINDSIGHT AND AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE NEPAD OBJECTIVES AND GOALS, THE DEVELOPMENT COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE MANNER. VIEWING THE CONTINENT AS A WHOLE, THE SEPARATE RAILWAY SYSTEMS ARE NOT INTEGRATED AT ALL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.
THIS REGION HAD THE DUBIOUS ADVANTAGE OF BEING PART OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, WHICH LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A 'STANDARD' GAUGE, REFERRED TO AS THE CAPE GAUGE (1 067 MM), CONSIDERED TO BE NARROW BY WORLD STANDARD. EVEN THE COLONIES UNDER THE CONTROL OF PORTUGAL AND GERMANY ADOPTED THIS GAUGE TO FACILITATE RAIL TRANSPORT WITH THEIR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURS.
THE EXCEPTION WAS TANZANIA, WHERE A GAUGE OF ONE METER WAS INTRODUCED. HAD ONLY CECIL JOHN RHODES' VISION OF A CAPE-TO-CAIRO RAILWAY BECOME A REALITY, WE MAY HAVE HAD A SIMILAR STANDARDISATION THROUGHOUT AFRICA. BUT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN AND WE ARE SADDLED WITH THE PROBLEM OF HAVING TO INTEGRATE THE SYSTEMS OF AFRICA. HOWEVER, BEFORE MOVING TO THE LARGER PICTURE OF AFRICA, LET ME CONCENTRATE ON THE EXPERIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICA, WHERE REASONABLE SUCCESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED TOWARDS THE GOAL OF FULL INTEGRATION OF RAIL TRANSPORT SYSTEMS.
BEFORE 1910, RAILWAYS IN SOUTH AFRICA WERE FRAGMENTED IN THE SENSE THAT THEY WERE OPERATED BY THE DIFFERENT STATES WHICH EVENTUALLY CAME TOGETHER AS THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA IN 1910.
SOUTH WEST AFRICA WAS SOON TO FOLLOW AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR. THE PRESIDENT OF THE TRANSVAAL, PAUL KRUGER, MADE NO SECRET OF IT THAT HE PREFERRED HIS OWN RAILROAD TO DELAGOA BAY (CURRENTLY MAPUTO) AND PREVENTED THE CAPE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS' LINES FROM THE CAPE TO CROSS THE VAAL RIVER. WHEN THE CAPE RAILWAYS REVERTED TO "INTERMODALISM" BY TRANSHIPPING THE GOODS ONTO OX WAGONS AT THE BORDER, KRUGER REFUSED THEM ACCESS BY CLOSING THE PASSAGES THROUGH THE RIVERS.
HOWEVER, WITH A STROKE OF THE PEN, THE COMPLETE INTEGRATION OF FIVE DISTINCTLY SEPARATE RAILWAY SYSTEMS WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE UNIFICATION OF SOUTH AFRICA IN 1910 AND THE POLITICAL PROBLEMS PREVENTING FULL INTEGRATION WERE REMOVED. ADMITTEDLY, HAVING A STANDARD GAUGE, NO SERIOUS LANGUAGE PROBLEMS AND A CENTRAL, UNIFIED HIERARCHY OF CONTROL, ASSISTED THE PROCESS. IT WOULD SOON BE EVIDENT THAT NOT ALL OF THESE ADVANTAGES EXTENDED TO THE REST OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN RAILWAY NETWORK. IT BECAME IMPERATIVE TO ESTABLISH REGIONAL BODIES TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND ADDRESS ISSUES OF STANDARDISATION.
IT WAS THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, WHICH LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE ORGANISATION, WHICH SPAWNED MANY OF THE INTEGRATION DRIVES IN THIS SUB-REGION. I AM, OF COURSE, REFERRING TO THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION CONFERENCE (SADCC). THIS BODY WAS FORMED IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA, ON 1 APRIL 1980, FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THE LUSAKA DECLARATION - SOUTHERN AFRICA.
THE DECLARATION AND TREATY ESTABLISHING THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC), WHICH REPLACED SADCC, WAS SIGNED AT THE SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE, ON 17 AUGUST 1992, IN WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA.
ONE OF THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF SADC IS TO ACHIEVE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, ALLEVIATE POVERTY, ENHANCE THE STANDARD AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA AND SUPPORT THE SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED THROUGH REGIONAL INTEGRATION.
APART FROM THE SUMMIT, WHICH IS THE ULTIMATE POLICY-MAKING INSTITUTION AND IS MADE UP OF HEADS OF STATE OR GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES OF SADC. ONE OF THE MAJOR TASKS OF THE COUNCIL IS TO DECIDE UPON SECTORAL AREAS OF COOPERATION AND THE ALLOCATION OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR CARRYING OUT THESE SECTORAL ACTIVITIES.
THE TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR OF SADC, THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (SATCC), IS DIVIDED INTO SEVEN SUB SECTORS, EACH OF WHICH REQUIRES COOPERATION BETWEEN SEVERAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, PARASTATALS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THESE SUB SECTORS ARE:
FOR RAILWAYS, A SADC RAILWAY CHIEF EXECUTIVES COMMITTEE (SRCEC) WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED WITH THE AIM TO FOSTER COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE NATIONAL RAILWAY OPERATIONS IN THE REGION. BEING MANAGED BY GOVERNMENTS AS TRUE PARASTATALS, IT WAS NO EASY TASK TO COORDINATE DEVELOPMENT AMONGST THE RAILWAY ENTITIES. HAVING TO CONTEND WITH THE EVER-INCREASING COMPETITION FROM LONG DISTANCE AND CROSS-BORDER ROAD TRANSPORT, THE RAILWAY OPERATORS WERE FORCED TO JOIN FORCES AT OPERATIONAL LEVEL TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF SERVICE RENDERED TO CUSTOMERS AND TO CURB THE FURTHER EROSION OF RAIL'S TRAFFIC BASE.
WITH THE FOUNDING OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN RAILWAYS ASSOCIATION (SARA) IN 1996, A PLATFORM WAS ESTABLISHED FOR GREATER COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN RAIL OPERATORS IN THE AREA IN THEIR ENDEAVOUR TO PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR THE JOINT DELIVERY OF A COST-EFFECTIVE, REGIONALLY INTEGRATED, SEAMLESS AND PREDICTABLE RAIL TRANSPORT SERVICE AND ENSURE THE EXISTENCE OF A SUSTAINABLE FAIR SURFACE TRANSPORT POLICY IN THE SADC REGION.
IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVE, SARA ADOPTED AS ITS MAIN FUNCTIONS:
TO FACILITATE THE EXECUTION OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED FUNCTIONS, THREE STANDING WORKING COMMITTEES WERE ESTABLISHED NAMELY:
UNDER SARA'S INITIATIVE 10 INTERNATIONAL RAIL CORRIDORS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND MANAGEMENT GROUPS APPOINTED TO DEVELOP CORRIDOR OPERATING PLANS AND MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF EACH ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS.
SPOORNET, A DIVISION OF TRANSNET, REPRESENTS SOUTH AFRICA IN THE RAILWAY SUB SECTOR. A FAIR PROPORTION OF SPOORNET'S REVENUE IS GENERATED BY FREIGHT MOVING TO AND FROM SADC MEMBER COUNTRIES. AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR FUTURE REGIONAL COOPERATION INCLUDE MEASURES TO PREVENT DUPLICATION AND OVERSUPPLY OF RAIL ROUTES.
THIS WOULD LEAD TO INTEGRATION OF RAIL LINES ACROSS THE REGION SO THAT THE FREIGHT AND PASSENGER CUSTOMER WOULD EXPERIENCE A SEAMLESS SERVICE. THIS IS IN CONTRAST TO WHAT IS EXPERIENCED BY CUSTOMERS USING ROAD AND IS CONSEQUENTLY SUBJECTED TO THE FRUSTRATION OF BORDER DELAYS.
SADC IS, OF COURSE, NOT THE ONLY BODY IN THE REGION WITH THE GOAL OF INTEGRATING AMONGST OTHER THINGS, TRANSPORT. THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER INSTITUTIONS WITH SIMILAR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.
OTHER ORGANISATIONS IN THIS AREA ARE:
IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE CREATION OF INSTITUTIONS TO FACILITATE THE INTEGRATION PROCESS HAS PROGRESSED QUITE SATISFACTORILY IN THIS SUB-REGION. ONE OF THE PRODUCTS OF ALL THESE EFFORTS HAS BEEN THE SIGNING OF THE SADC PROTOCOL ON TRANSPORT, COMMUNICATIONS AND METEOROLOGY.
THE GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROTOCOL IS TO ESTABLISH TRANSPORT, COMMUNICATIONS AND METEOROLOGY SYSTEMS WHICH PROVIDE EFFICIENT, COST-EFFECTIVE AND FULLY INTEGRATED INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS WHICH BEST MEETS THE NEEDS OF CUSTOMERS AND PROMOTES ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT WHILE BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY AND ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE. IN ADDITION TO THIS GENERAL OBJECTIVE, THE PROTOCOL GOES FURTHER AND LISTS A NUMBER OF STRATEGIC GOALS DESIGNED TO GIVE EFFECT TO ABOVE-MENTIONED OBJECTIVES.
THE FIRST OF THESE STRATEGIC GOALS IS TO SEE THE INTEGRATION OF REGIONAL TRANSPORT NETWORKS FACILITATED BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPATIBLE POLICIES, LEGISLATION, RULES, STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES. VARIOUS BODIES INVOLVED IN ALL THE MODES OF TRANSPORT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED TO MAKE THESE GOALS A REALITY. I WILL CONCENTRATE ON THOSE RELATED TO THE RAIL MODE OF TRANSPORT.
SINCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A RAILWAY LINE AND EQUIPPING IT WITH THE REQUIRED WAGONS AND LOCOMOTIVES HAVE AND WILL ALWAYS BE EXPENSIVE, REQUIRING EXTENSIVE FINANCIAL BACK-UP, RAILWAYS HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN ESTABLISHED BY AND OPERATED AS STATE ENTERPRISES.
IT WAS THEREFORE QUITE COMMON PRACTICE THAT ALL RAILWAY LINES WERE NOT BUILT ONLY ON SOUND BUSINESS PRINCIPLES, BUT 'HONEST' POLITICAL GROUNDS AND, BECAUSE POLITICAL GROUNDS STOPPED AT THE NATIONAL BORDERS, LITTLE ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE PLANNING OF RAILROADS ON A REGIONAL BASIS. THE MAIN DRIVING FORCE WAS TO LINK THE NATURAL RESOURCE DEPOSITS WITH A PORT FOR EXPORT. EACH RAILWAY WAS OPERATED AS A STAND-ALONE NATIONAL ENTITY WITH CROSS-BORDER RAIL TRANSPORT AS A COINCIDENCE.
BEING ORGANS OF STATE, RAILWAYS WERE UTILISED TO INSTIGATE AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRIES' RESOURCES AND ECONOMY, WHILST ALSO CARRYING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDING JOBS FOR THE POPULATION. EVERY COUNTRY THEREFORE MANAGED AND UTILISED ITS RAILWAYS ACCORDING TO ITS OWN NEEDS AND STANDARDS. AS REWARD FOR PERFORMING THIS 'NATIONAL SERVICE', GOVERNMENTS REWARDED THE RAILWAYS BY PROTECTING IT FROM THE INCREASING COMPETITION FROM ROAD TRANSPORT. A CURSORY GLANCE AT A RAILWAY MAP OF AFRICA WILL SHOW THAT THE ARTERIAL ROUTES RUN FROM INLAND AREAS TO PORTS. THE EXCEPTION IS SOUTH AND SOUTH EAST AFRICA WHERE AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO INTERCONNECT VARIOUS INDUSTRIAL AREAS. ON THE WEST, LINES RUN TO THE COAST BUT ARE RARELY CONNECTED. A PRIME EXAMPLE IS ANGOLA WHERE THREE LINES RUN PARALLEL FROM EAST TO WEST.
PLANS ARE NOW AFOOT TO CONNECT THESE LINES. SIMILARLY, A PROJECT TO JOIN THE LINES OF NAMIBIA AND ANGOLA IS BEING CONTEMPLATED. HAD THE COLONIAL POWERS BEEN MORE FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING THEIR COLONIES, A CONNECTION BETWEEN BITTERFONTEIN AND NAMIBIA COULD HAVE TRANSFORMED NAMAQUALAND INTO A HUB OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. THE SAME LACK OF LATERAL CONNECTIONS HAVE STYMIED GROWTH IN THE REST OF WEST AFRICA BY DENYING THESE COUNTRIES THE BENEFITS WHICH COULD BE DERIVED FROM INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE.
IF THE FIRST WORLD WAR SPURRED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROAD TRUCK AS AN ALTERNATIVE MODE OF LAND TRANSPORT, THE SECOND WORLD WAR ELEVATED IT AS A COMPETITIVE FORCE THAT ATTACKED RAIL'S SUPREMACY AND ENDANGERED ITS SURVIVAL. ALTHOUGH SOUTHERN AFRICA WAS TO A LARGE EXTENT SPARED THE BLIGHT OF THE TWO WORLD WARS, IT ALSO LOST OUT ON THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT FOLLOWED. THE DEVELOPING FIRST WORLD ONLY REQUIRED THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA TO FEED ITS INDUSTRIES.
BEING DEPRIVED OF THE BENEFITS OF MAJOR ECONOMIC REVIVAL AND INDUSTRIAL REHABILITATION THAT FOLLOWED ON THE SECOND WORLD WAR, AFRICA TO A LARGE EXTENT IS DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN CAPITAL FOR THE FUNDING OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND, WITH THE RETURNS ON INVESTMENT NOT COMPETING WITH LEVELS POSSIBLE IN DEVELOPED FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES, THE QUEUE OF POSSIBLE INVESTORS IS NOT EXTENSIVE.
AFRICA THEREFORE HAS TO RELY VERY MUCH ON FUNDS PROVIDED BY DONOR COUNTRIES AND ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS THE WORLD BANK AND USAID TO FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
BASED ON THE WORLD BANK'S TRANSPORT PROJECT PORTFOLIO FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, ONLY 2.5% OF THE BANK'S TOTAL LOAN COMMITMENTS OF US$105BN FOR 2001 WAS EARMARKED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORT IN THE REGION. IT IS ALSO EVIDENT THAT INVESTMENT IN RAILWAYS IN THE REGION IS NOT REGARDED AS A HIGH PRIORITY WITH ONLY 4% BEING ALLOCATED TO IT, COMPARED TO A WHOPPING 55% GOING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHWAYS.
IT IS THEREFORE VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE RAILWAY OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF THE REGION SHOULD COLLABORATE AND COOPERATE IN THEIR EFFORTS TO PROMOTE THE RAIL MODE AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION. SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION BETWEEN THE RAILWAYS OF THE REGION IS NO FALLACY. ONE ONLY HAS TO RECALL THE ACHIEVEMENT RECORDED IN 1992/93 WHEN THE RAILWAYS ROSE TO THE OCCASION AND BRILLIANTLY SUCCEEDED IN CONVEYING 11 MILLION TONS OF FOOD-AID (MAIZE AND OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS) BETWEEN MAINLY THE SOUTH AFRICAN PORTS AND THE DROUGHT-STRICKEN SADC NEIGHBOURS.
THE COMPETENCY OF SUB-SAHARAN RAILWAYS TO WORK TOGETHER IS ALSO BORNE OUT BY THE JOHANNESBURG - DAR ES SALAAM CONTAINER TRAIN THAT MANAGES TO COMPETE SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE ROAD AND BEATS COASTAL SHIPPING BY DAYS ON TRANSIT TIME.
I EARLIER REFERRED TO THE SEVEN COMMITTEES THAT WERE ESTABLISHED UNDER SATCC'S JURISDICTION TO ASSIST WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROTOCOL. AS A MANIFESTATION OF THE URGENT NEED TO EFFECT CLOSER INTEGRATION IN TRANSPORT IN THE REGION, AN EIGHTH COMMITTEE WAS LAUNCHED ON 27 MARCH 2002 IN GABORONE, NAMELY AN INTEGRATED TRANSPORT COMMITTEE, WHOSE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROVIDE A FORUM WHERE CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES ARISING FROM THE ROAD TRANSPORT, RAILWAYS, MARITIME AND CIVIL AVIATION CAN BE DISCUSSED AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES WHICH MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY RESOLVED WITHIN EACH TRANSPORT MODE SUB-SECTOR COMMITTEE. IT IS FORESEEN THAT THIS COMMITTEE WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF UN-LEVEL PLAYING FIELDS BETWEEN ROAD AND RAIL.
WITH CUSTOMER NEEDS BECOMING MORE SOPHISTICATED, RAILWAYS ARE FORCED TO EXTEND THEIR SERVICES TO INCLUDE SERVICES BEYOND THE NORMAL RAIL-BOUND TERMINAL-TO-TERMINAL SERVICE. IN ORDER TO BRIDGE THE GAP, RAILWAYS ARE RELYING ON ROAD TRANSPORT TO PROVIDE THIS LINK IN THE LOGISTICS CHAIN. TO FACILITATE A SEAMLESS INTERFACE IN THE LINKING OF MODES TO MAXIMISE THE ECONOMICS OF TRANSPORT, REQUIRES FACILITIES FOR TRANSFER OF FREIGHT BETWEEN MODES.
HOWEVER, DUE TO THE FIERCE COMPETITION THAT NORMALLY EXISTS BETWEEN THE MODES, PARTIES USUALLY ARE RELUCTANT TO COOPERATE IN THE PROVISION THEREOF, LEAVING IT TO GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED INFRASTRUCTURE. GOVERNMENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, HAVE TO CONTEND WITH MULTIPLE DEMANDS FOR INVESTMENT IN THE HIGHER ORDER SOCIAL NEEDS PROJECTS THAT OUTRANKS TRANSPORT PROJECTS.
TO DATE, ALL INLAND RAIL CONTAINER TERMINALS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY SPOORNET AND THOSE IN THE PORTS BY PORTNET. THE SAME IS EVIDENT IN THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC PARKING, BUS AND TAXI RANKS AT PASSENGER STATIONS.
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS QUANTIFIED THE CUMULATIVE BENEFITS TO BE DERIVED FROM INTEGRATING TRANSPORT AND HAS ACCEPTED THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROMOTE INTER-MODALISM. THE WHEELS WERE SET ROLLING WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE FIRST INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORT EFFICIENCY ACT (ISTEA) IN 1991. UNDER THIS ACT GOVERNMENT WILL FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE PLANNING AND PROVISION OF INTERMODAL TRANSFER FACILITIES FOR FREIGHT AT STRATEGIC POINTS.
ON THE LOCAL FRONT, DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INSTITUTIONAL AND REGULATORY ARENA HAVE ALSO PROGRESSED WELL.
THE RAILWAY SAFETY REGULATOR BILL HAS BEEN APPROVED AND WILL COME INTO EFFECT SOON TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RAILWAY SAFETY REGULATOR TO:
THE DRAFTING OF A NATIONAL RAILWAY TRANSPORT POLICY IS ALSO WELL UNDER WAY AND A TRANSACTIONAL ADVISOR WILL BE APPOINTED SOON TO ASSIST IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING THE MOST APPROPRIATE STRUCTURE FOR THE ANTICIPATED MERGER BETWEEN INTER-CITY RAIL PASSENGER SERVICES, METRORAIL SERVICES AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN RAIL COMMUTER CORPORATION (SARCC).
A PROJECT AIMED AT DRAFTING A NATIONAL LAND TRANSPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK HAS ALSO BEEN LAUNCHED. THIS POLICY WILL INDICATE GOVERNMENT'S VISION AND PREFERRED ROUTE FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND BASED TRANSPORT MODES. ALL ISSUES THAT PREVENT THE OPTIMISATION OF THE TRANSPORT FUNCTION IN SOUTH AFRICA WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE FRAMEWORK. FOR INSTANCE, WE CANNOT AFFORD THE LUXURY OF PROVIDING AND MAINTAINING PARALLEL SERVICES, I.E. ROAD AND RAIL ON ROUTES WITH TRAFFIC VOLUMES THAT CAN ONLY ECONOMICALLY SUSTAIN ONE MODE. IN THIS REGARD, GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO GUIDE THE DECISION ON THE PREFERRED MODE.
WITH PEACE AND STABILITY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, ESPECIALLY THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN ANGOLA, PROSPECTS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH ARE BETTER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN FOR SEVERAL DECADES. CONDITIONS ARE FAVOURABLE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL AND INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE. AS REGIONAL COOPERATION INTENSIFIES, EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TRANSPORT THROUGHOUT THE REGION IS INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT. IN MOST COUNTRIES OF THE REGION, ADJUSTMENTS AND CHANGES ARE ALREADY TAKING PLACE IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR.
THESE CHANGES ARE IN LINE WITH THE GENERAL TREND AWAY FROM CENTRALISED PLANNING AND PARASTATALS TOWARDS POLICIES BASED ON COMMERCIALISATION, COMPETITION, LIBERALISATION AND INCREASED PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION.
THIS BRINGS ME TO MY OPENING REMARKS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES HAS NOT BEEN THAT REMARKABLE.
DURING THE YEAR 2001, THE HEADS OF STATE BECAME AWARE OF THE CREEPING ECONOMIC DECAY AND UNBALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA. THE DISASTROUS EFFECT ON ITS POPULATIONS AND THE INANITY OF THE ENDLESS STUDIES AND PLANS NEVER IMPLEMENTED WHICH HAVE PUNCTUATED OUR HISTORY SINCE INDEPENDENCE, FORCEFULLY MOTIVATED THEM TO PREPARE PLANS FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT DERIVED FROM A TOTALLY NEW SPIRIT.
NEPAD WAS BORN OF A NUMBER OF SEPARATE IDEAS, STARTING WITH THE AFRICAN REVIVAL, SPEARHEADED BY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI OF SOUTH AFRICA. AT THE SAME TIME, THE PRESIDENTS OF NIGERIA, OLUSEGUN OBASANJO AND ALGERIA, ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA, LAUNCHED THE MILLENIUM AFRICAN PLAN (MAP).
PRESIDENT ABDOULAYE WADE FROM SENEGAL PROPOSED THE OMEGA PLAN. EGYPT WAS LATER CO-OPTED TO SET UP THE INITIATOR'S GROUP CALLED THE IMPLEMENTING COMMITTEE, TOGETHER WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED HEADS OF STATE. IN THE COURSE OF SEVERAL WORKING SESSIONS, THE MERGER OF THESE PLANS INTO ONE NAMED THE NEW AFRICAN INITIATIVE WAS ACHIEVED.
THIS PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY A SUMMIT OF THE HEADS OF STATE HELD IN LUSAKA IN JULY 2001.
A DELEGATION WAS APPOINTED TO PRESENT THIS NEW AFRICAN PLAN TO THE G8 IN GENOA THAT SAME MONTH. THE G8 SHOWED VERY MUCH ENTHUSIASM FOR SUCH AN ENTIRELY AFRICAN INITIATIVE, WHICH CONTRASTED SHARPLY WITH FORMER METHODS SINCE IT PRESENTED A REAL VISION OF THE FUTURE. IT ANSWERED BY A DECLARATION, WHICH BECAME THE GENOA DECLARATION THAT ADOPTED EXACTLY THE OUTLINES OF THE PRIORITIES AS SPECIFIED BY THE NEW AFRICA INITIATIVE. DURING ONE OF ITS MEETINGS, THE IMPLEMENTING COMMITTEE CONSIDERED IT NECESSARY TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE PLAN TO NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT OR NEPAD FOR SHORT.
ALTHOUGH NEPAD IS OF THE OPINION THAT EVERYTHING IS A PRIORITY IN AFRICA, THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SUPER PRIORITIES, THAT PRESENTS SOME KIND OF BASIS WITHOUT WHICH NO DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE. THAT IS WHY NEPAD PROPOSES A PARTNERSHIP WITH AFFLUENT COUNTRIES FOR THE PREPARATION AND EXECUTION OF AN EMERGENCY PLAN OF SUPER PRIORITIES. TEN SUCH PRIORITY SECTORS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND IT IS HEARTENING TO NOTE THAT TRANSPORT FEATURES STRONGLY IN TWO OF THEM.
THE FIRST SECTOR IS THAT OF INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE RAILWAYS, PORTS, ROADS AND AIRPORTS FEATURE STRONGLY. SUCH FACILITIES IMPACT HEAVILY ON THE COMPETITIVENESS OF AFRICAN PRODUCTS LIKELY TO BE SOLD ABROAD. THIS LEADS, NATURALLY TO THE SECOND PRIORITY, WHICH IS ACCESS TO THE MARKETS OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. THE WILL TO DEVELOP AND DIVERSIFY AGRICULTURE CAN ONLY BE EFFECTIVE IF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES OPEN THEIR BORDERS TO US AS MENTIONED.
WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO RAIL TRANSPORT AND THE ROLE IT HAS TO PLAY IN THE NEPAD INITIATIVE. NO WONDER THAT RAIL IS INVOLVED IN TWO OF THE TEN SUPER PRIORITIES OF THE NEPAD PLAN. THE SOUTH AFRICAN RAIL SECTOR HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN OTHER PARTS OF AFRICA FOR QUITE SOME TIME, QUITE APART FROM THE MERE MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT AND PASSENGERS. THE ULTIMATE AIM IS TO INTEGRATE RAIL OPERATIONS ACROSS NATIONAL BORDERS TO FACILITATE TRADE NOT ONLY BETWEEN AFRICAN STATES BUT BETWEEN AFRICA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD.
OTHER RAIL COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION ACTIVITIES INCLUDE SELLING AND LEASING OF LOCOMOTIVES AND WAGONS, BECOMING INVOLVED AS CONCESSIONAIRES AND CONSULTANTS AND PARTICIPATING IN JOINT VENTURES FOR THE PROVISION OF RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND FREIGHT-HANDLING FACILITIES.
WE ARE THEREFORE LOOKING AT RAIL TO NOT ONLY CONTINUE ITS ROLE AS FACILITATOR OF TRADE IN AFRICA AND BETWEEN AFRICA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, BUT ALSO AS AN INITIATOR AND INSTIGATOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA.