These road hogs should not be allowed to drive on our roads. The theme "Moving South Africa safely on time" hinges on three pillars for it to succeed. These pillars are good infrastructure, the quality of the mode of transport, and professional and skilful personnel. We can't talk about good infrastructure without linking it with economic development. My area of focus will be good infrastructure with economic development, especially rural development.
South Africa should never be at peace with itself unless it responds to rural development, especially infrastructure. We can build big industries and employ many people, but if we don't have good roads that transport goods from the place of manufacture to the marketplace, we are bound to fail. Roads in rural areas are deplorable, to say the least. Most of the villages do not have access roads that connect them with the civilised world. The situation is even more disastrous during rainy seasons. We had a nasty experience four weeks ago in Msinga in KwaZulu-Natal. We could not reach our destination because it had rained the previous day. How many of our people are experiencing this daily? Surely, for these people democracy has not yet dawned on them or on their shores, yet we are 18 years into our democracy. Where in the world have you seen a bakkie being used as a mode of transport to ferry people because the roads are so bad that the only mode of transport they can use are bakkies?
Agricultural produce in rural areas can't reach the markets because the roads are very bad. Even if they want to preserve their produce, they do not have storage facilities. I am provoking and challenging those of us who live and enjoy urban life because we have forgotten that we left our umbilical cord in the remote areas, where our ancestors, and we, once lived. We forget that the people in those areas also need a good life.
I am urging the Minister to have special programmes that will address rural infrastructure, especially roads. The 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup has shown us the way - why can't we build on the experience and expertise gained from the World Cup? With a concerted effort from all of us to target a province or two at a time, with a timeframe of not more than two years, we can address once and for all the backlog that exists. Others would follow and in no time we would have responded to the backlog. We can do this in collaboration with the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, which can assist with the building of bridges. Then we can proudly talk about having made South African roads safe, especially in the rural areas, and every person and community will be on time and enjoy the good life.
Ngqongqoshe, ngonyaka odlule sibe nenkulumompikiswano kuleNdlu, sacela ukuthi usekele izithuthi zabafundi. [Minister, last year we had a debate in this House, where we requested that you sponsor learner transport.]