Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, less than a month ago, South Africa was embarrassed with the collapse of a bus station roof in Rustenburg. Locally, officials scrambled around and tried to offer comfort with the message that this bus terminus was not in use, under construction and that no one was hurt.
While the Department of Transport and other stakeholders wished for the dust to simply settle on this matter, commuters are still struggling to access quality public transport. Fathers wish to get to work, mothers dream of safely welcoming their kids back home from school and youngsters hope to explore places they have only heard of from others.
To the hon Minister: We cannot simply turn the page on this. The DA regards public transport as one of the most important reform essentials. Coming from the North West province myself, I am ashamed to note the disappointment people face against the promises of what was said to be delivered in the form of a bus rapid transport programme in Rustenburg. From the explanation, it might be true that no one was hurt and that the work was stopped as far back as 2017 and now we must talk international relations.
What cannot be walked away from is the fact that millions of rands were spent. Contractors received money and, yet, no buses are running. Communities such as those in Tlhabane West, Geelhoutpark and Rustenburg North remain disconnected to schools, work and recreation. While many might view the collapse as a small incident, it should be regarded as failure to our people.
In your view, it might be considered a poor choice of a contractor, but in a DA's view, this represents irresponsibility and a complete disregard for the hard-earned tax contributions
made by mothers, fathers, my own sister and brother, and it is not acceptable. Numbers and facts reveal that since the start of the Rustenburg Rapid Transport project in 2005, more than R3 billion was transferred from this Department of Transport to an ANC- controlled municipality, with nothing to show for it.
To the hon Minister: I will tell you why this is. Main contractors could not deliver because the subcontractors were fired. Various spheres of government could not explore or exercise their oversight, including your department. The project was supposed to be done in October 2018. Then came April this year, but dololo buses! Buses were also ordered to the tune of R3,7 million and the project is now discontinued, with a new quotation that is going to set this particular department R4,4 million behind again.
To the hon Minister: Whilst you are at it, maybe you can respond to the people of Gauteng as to who will pay the billions of rands that they have incurred in the e-toll saga. The people of Gauteng never wanted e-tolls, hon Steenhuisen. The people of
Gauteng never wanted to pay for a system that is going to cost them money. This will never happen!
I want to congratulate the far-left right here, the DA, and the residents of Gauteng for fighting e-tolls. E-tolls are gone; and it will be gone under the ANC-led government. Thank you very much, hon House Chairperson. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr L E McDONALD: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister of Transport - Fikile Mbalula, Deputy Minister of Transport - Dikeledi Magadzi, hon Members of Parliament, members of the Portfolio Committee on Transport led by the hon Mozebenzi Zwane, officials of the Department of Transport, chairpersons and CEOs of the transport entities, my special guests and other invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, and comrades, as South Africans we embrace the chance to celebrate Nelson Mandela's life for the whole of July. This gives everyone the opportunity to heed the call to action, for people to recognise their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them.
Hon House Chair, let me assist hon Hunsinger: To be a shadow minister, you need a bright light. Hon Fikile Mbalula is the bright light in your life. [Laughter.] [Applause.] As far as the passenger rail infrastructure and services are concerned, this ANC-led government and the department will continue modernising South Africa's passenger rail services through the Passenger Rail Agency of SA, Prasa. Prasa's focus will be on executing its capital programme to about R36 billion in the next three years. Also, hon Hunsinger, this is not a dream; it is our plan.
It will be intensifying its repairs and maintenance regime, as well as improving security on the rail network, which include CCTV monitoring and spending on footbridges, level crossings, eliminating high risk level crossings and improve safety of pedestrians. [Interjections.] The government's priority is to provide safe and reliable rail travel, especially for the working class.
The sixth administration will not tolerate the destruction of rail services which in the main are used by the working class and the poor. This act of sabotage surmounts to a form of
treason perpetrated on the poor. This act of sabotage should be investigated by the security services to determine if there is no any other political agenda in these acts of destruction.
Comrade House Chair, there will never be ... [Interjections.] [Laughter.] Prasa's modernisation programme is intended to achieve: A high proportion of the number of trains originating from South Africa and in line with the government's local content objectives to this end; a target of over 65% local content by the end of the ten-year programme has been set; the creation of a sustainable and competitive local rolling stock manufacturing sector, a strong focus on job creation and job retention; the transfer and development of rail related skills to the South African labour force; meaningful black equity ownership at the contractor and sub- contractor level; the use and enhancement of existing entities or plants and workforce where possible; and a high priority on safety and reliability of the procured rolling stock.
With the resignalling program, the ANC-led sixth administration will spend R6,82 billion in the next three years across three
regions: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape. This investment will bring a modern signalling system, which will give Prasa additional operational capacity and improved safety.
Over the next three years ... [Interjections.] ... Prasa [Interjections.] ... will spend R723 million on its ICT systems to implement an automatic ticketing system. As the ANC-led government we are leading the fourth industrial revolution. This proposed automated system will improve revenue collection and will reduce loss of revenue and fraud.
Prasa will implement a rescue and recovery plan for Metrorail to restore its service performance during the 2019-20 financial year, to stabilize the commuter service and the immediate implementation of the requirements of the rapid rolling stock recovery programme of 88 train sets for Western Cape, 118 train sets for Gauteng and 54 trains sets for KwaZulu-Natal, to name a few.
These are some of the measures this ANC-led government is making in the next three years to insure that Prasa will continue to be
the backbone of the public transport system of South Africa. The Airports Company of South Africa, Acsa, one of the best entities of the department, has generated more than R9,5 billion to the South African economy; supported more than 15 000 direct and indirect jobs; and supported R2,8 billion in income for its employees and those of its local suppliers.
Over the medium term, Acsa will continue to focus on the development, management and maintenance of the country's nine principal airports. These airports are expected to accommodate a total of 65,2 million departing passengers and over 800 000 arriving aircraft over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period.
Acsa's main international gateway airports - Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg International Airports - have been named among the best in the world in the 2019 Skytrax World Airport Awards. Air travellers voted Cape Town International Airport the Best Airport in Africa for the fourth year running. Cape Town International Airport ranked 22nd globally, followed by Durban's
King Shaka International Airport at 29th, and Joburg's O R Tambo International Airport at 33rd.
ANC-led government's owned aviation transport entities continue to excel and deliver world class services to the citizens of South Africa and our international visitors. Although strides have been made in the transformation of the aviation industry, the proportional representation of Africans, blacks in general have not yet been achieved.
In this 6th ANC-led administration we will ensure to prioritise the transformation of the aviation industry to be more a reflection of the demographics of South Africa, with key aspect on Africans in general, with specific targets on youth and women, from the unskilled to the captains of the skies.
On a continental level, the SA Civil Aviation Authority, Sacaa, recognises the African Union Agenda 2063, a framework for socioeconomic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years - one of the aspirations being an integrated continent,
politically united and based on ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of African Renaissance.
The SA Civil Aviation Authority delivers on this continental vision through its continued contribution to the African Civil Aviation Commission, Acac. I end this speech with wise words from a great man and a national hero, Nelson Mandela, and I quote, " After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb." As the ANC, we support Vote No 35. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: The DA suggests that we merge Transnet and PRASA to stop circulating money between the two entities. We agree that the relationship between PRASA and Transnet is unhealthy and the money each entity charges the other can be best used in improving the rail operations. The reasons for the separation of passenger rail from freight remains valid and merging the two entities will achieve nothing but to take us back to the past.
The DA's unwillingness to support the Road Accident Fund Benefit Scheme, RABS, Bill which seeks to address the challenges confronted in the Road Accident Fund, RAF, is dishonest and exposes the lies that they are interested in solving the RAF challenges. Because, that bill deals with corruption and fraudulent fly by night lawyers who seek to use the pain of our people to enrich themselves.
EFF is correct in that the best way to resolve challenges in commuter rail is to buy new trains. The ANC government has invested... listen EFF hon members, 172 billion over the next two decades to buy new trains. These trains are being manufactured as we speak in Nigel, Ekurhuleni and some are being delivered as we speak to you now. The EFF proposes a built operate transfer funding more for infrastructure, in fact the very two roads across the country are funded using the exact modem
The Moloto road will go beyond speed humps as we suggested and will include a number of speed coming measures that include traffic circles, safe to use intersections and restrict speed limit on certain sections of the road. We must correct a
misrepresentation by the EFF that suggests PRASA is unable to pay salaries. PRASA remains liquid and their ability to pay salaries has never been questioned.
The recent incident attributed to a system glitch that saw employees of the rail division getting their salaries a day later. Unlike EFF leaders' photo shoots at the July Handicap, my recent trip to Durban was not a vanity project. It was a life saving exercise, a first of its kind. In terms of scale, the #livebeyondjuly campaign was a result in success. Never before has an interprovincial, multidisciplinary weekend long road safety initiative taken place around popular festivities.
When over 100 drunken drivers were arrested, 100 people whom if they had gone to kill one person each would have killed 100 people. Moving coffins were put off the roads, vehicles which could have increased the carnage on our roads. This was not a publicity stunt hon member unlike your leaders' relationship advice at the July Handicap tents.
Free transport for learners and the aged, we're finalising the subsidy policy that will target not the user including designated groups. It should be noted that there is no such a thing as free transport, ultimately it must still be paid for somehow. We need to finalise and address the issue of e-tolls in Gauteng. We are going to address as we are addressing it now. You've got no responsibility in government and you don't know how it is to govern. It is very easy for you to speak out of turn and make a lot of noise because you don't the challenges the government faces.
It is not the DA or your sister twin EFF which will resolve the e-tolls and the e-toll issues and the tolling on our roads. It is the governing party, the ANC. As you continue a lot of noise about what needs to happen Mabhena Mabhena, we are addressing the issues that confront our nation. The e-toll is not an easy matter... [Interjects]
THE CHIEFWHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chairperson...
THE HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (MS MG BOROTO): Hon Minister please take your seat. Yes, hon Steenhuisen?
THE CHIEFWHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: It's the hon Mabhena Mabhena.
THE HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (MS MG BOROTO): I don't know who he's
talking about, continue hon Minister.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Hon Mabhena Mabhena [laughter] I want to say to you that hon Mabahena, we've got the responsibility to govern and not mislead South Africans. As I'm standing here, the issue of e-tolls is not an easy task.
THE HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (MS MG BOROTO): Thank you hon Minister. [Time expired.]
Debate concluded.
The mini-plenary session rose at 18:34. -----------------------