[Mhlonishwa.] Hon member.
Tona yaDipalangwa: Ke lebogile Modulasetulo, Mmusakgotla wa Ntlo e ya kopano ya diporofensi. Ke batla go simolola ntlha ka go lemosa tsala ya ka e tona, ya tlhogo ya kgomo, e e tswang kwa Gauteng gore nna ke tswa kwa Kimberley le gone ga ke se o neng o re rre yole ke sona. Ke ene o ka nnang sona seo eseng nna. [Setshego.] (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Thank you, Chairperson, the presiding officer of this National Council of Provinces. I would like to start off by making a big friend of mine from Gauteng aware that I am from Kimberley, and I am not what you said that gentleman is. He is the one that can be it, not me. [Laughter.]]
I want to take this opportunity to thank all the members for the valuable inputs that they've made, and also applaud the chairperson of the committee not only for the leadership that he is giving, but also for reminding us today that it is important that when we speak in this House, we must able to reach the people whom we are here for. So, it has been made possible that you speak in the vernacular. You have been enabled to interpret for the people of South Africa what we said in the budget speech.
I just want to say that today we had here people claiming easy victories. You know, all of us know that the MyCiti Integrated Rapid Transit System in Cape Town is a concept and a programme based on the policies of the ANC. [Applause.]
You would know, and your leaders have acknowledged, that South Africa is far better than it was in 1994, mainly because of the policies and the leadership of the ANC. So, I just wanted to remind you that whatever is happening in the Western Cape is happening because of the part of Integrated Public Transport Network that the ANC is driving. Cape Town, therefore, is one of the key cities in the country and we are not going to leave it out.
Remember that the MyCiti Project actually started long before the DA became the government of the Western Cape, before they swallowed the NNP and decided to be the democratic, or the confused, alliance. I also want to say that I've heard what the hon Khawula said about the Port Shepstone line. This line is part of the department's branch lines and I would believe that you would know when the branch line strategy or plan is finalised, when we will be able to put this in motion.
I am actually happy to indicate that, having been the Premier of the Northern Cape, I know that the pilot of the branch line strategy has actually succeeded in reviving the small town in the Northern Cape called Douglas. Today the people of Douglas could even tell you that they've got a shopping complex because of how the branch line strategy made it possible to increase its capacity in the agricultural sector, when we also made sure that we revived that particular town.
With regard to the Mthatha Airport, I am happy that the MEC spoke at length about it, and we are still going to be engaging as the national department and the Eastern Cape province with regard to this airport, as it can be a catalyst for the tourism industry, especially in that part of our country.
I've heard many comrades and hon members in the House speak about passenger rail, and I have given an indication of all the work that we are doing.
I also want to indicate here that we are going to be soon announcing the national transport forum, which will be a platform for co-ordination and integration of plans across the three spheres, hon Rademeyer from Salga, to make sure that you have a seamless standard of service provision in transport, so that you don't have a particular standard in one part of the country and another standard in another part of the country. We are one South Africa. Like we always say: Iivoti zethu ziyafana futhi ziyalingana. [Our votes are the same and are equal.]
So, what we do is to make sure that we cover the whole country. We are not going to behave like the members of the DA, who, wherever they are, whether it's Mpumalanga, they only talk about the Western Cape. Some of the people who always speak about this Western Cape do not know where the Western Cape is. [Laughter.]