Thank you, hon Speaker. The full assessment of the role that transport played in the wonderful success of hosting the 2010 World Cup is a process which we are still completing. As we speak today, there is a workshop, debriefing session, of the Department of Transport, relevant agencies and all of the host cities which will result in a comprehensive assessment. Of course, the assessment has been ongoing, and was ongoing in the course of the hosting of the event itself.
First and foremost, I think the basic thing to say is that, despite a great deal of scepticism before the hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, transport really came to the party. I think it contributed very actively to the tremendous success of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
We are using the World Cup as a catalyst and have refurbished and produced new stations: King Shaka, Moses Mabhida, Century City here in Cape Town, Doornfontein and many others.
Our airports are looking fantastic, particularly the big airports. OR Tambo International Airport had a major refurbishment, Cape Town International Airport as well and of course, the brand new airport at King Shaka.
Gautrain - the very first leg of Gautrain between Sandton and the airport - is proving to be hugely popular and a great success. We look forward to the completion of the other legs.
I think what is also very important is to say that the success was possible because the state, in all three spheres, led the process, but success would not have been possible without also the co-operation of our partners in the private sector.
I would like also to take the opportunity to salute the role of the SA Bus Owners Association, Sabowa, which played a great role in assisting us and worked very closely with government. Also, the minibus sector - we often blame the minibus sector, sometimes with good reason, but I think they also came to the party. Hopefully they made a lot of money out of the process, but they also co-operated very effectively with us.
The BRT, Bus Rapid Transit, system's Rea Vaya proved its worth in the course of hosting the event in Johannesburg. The very first beginnings of a BRT system here in Cape Town, with MyCiTi, has also begun to be rolled out. There is the Gauteng Freeway Project and many other things.
Transport is not just about vehicles, it is also about mobility and access. I think one of the wonderful things that happened during the World Cup was that people discovered their cities and the possibility of using public space democratically, nonracially, deracialising our public spaces and just walking in our cities. For instance, the Cape Town Fan Walk was one of the great successes of 2010, because people moved about their city. We also need to regard that as part of transport.
Perhaps that is the real achievement. We need to ask not just what transport contributed to the World Cup, but what the World Cup contributed to transport. I think the big thing has been a change in attitude. We are seeing members of the public who are not used to or have never used public transport beginning to discover the realities, possibilities and the democratic pleasure of travelling with a variety of South Africans in a common form of transport.
These are some of the fantastic gains: the contribution that transport made to hosting 2010, but also some of the things that hosting it has contributed to transport, going forward in South Africa.