I think our plans, in terms of what we needed to do, propelled us to look at ourselves in the mirror and realise that the majority of our people in the poor areas of our townships, use trains. Indeed, when you go there the situation is such that you will ask, have we actually achieved freedom? And, what does freedom mean to ordinary South Africans? It means they can catch a train on time, go to work and actually come back.
Like I said, it became vividly clear that this is the biggest challenge. Yes, we can spend billions in building many things but if we don't reach out by fixing the only thing that takes people to work and back - which is a train - and which sustains livelihood, then we have failed.
I can tell you that the morning when we went with the President on the trains ... I never grew up using trains to go to work and so on. I used busses ... Botshabelo, Thaba 'Nchu and Bloemfontein. Trains were a luxury when I went to see relatives. To be in a train was something very special because then you had seen heaven. That was the first step to getting into an aeroplane. Getting into an aeroplane was first class. Trains were a luxury and did not have these challenges which we actually have.
When we arrived there with the President ... We arrived at 4:00am and the trains could not arrive. The train only arrived at 7:00am. Then the train ... before ... It actually took us hours and hours. By the time we reached Pretoria Central from Mabopane, it was 12:00pm and the people told us that this is what they are subjected to on a daily basis.
Then I came to Cape Town ... the main line corridor. You have another corridor here which runs ... southern one ... very effective ... good, but you have a main line. I went into that place. ... the same story. I arrived at 4:00am and the trains did not arrive. The train arrived at 8:00am, and halfway to town the train could not move and people had to get out of the train to go to the taxis. They said to me, Minister, we don't have money to
use a taxi. The taxi fare is R15,00 from where we are to town, and if I have to spend R15,00 every day to come to town my salary is gone. Going to work ... It's just going to work but I'm spending my salary on transport.
Now, you guys are not fixing the trains. How do I support my livelihood? I don't want to be on the grant system. I wake up every morning to go and work for my kids and family. I'm not a burden to the state. One thing that we want is a train that works. We will pay for the tickets ourselves every week because we have reliable transport.
Now, that is the reality of the working class in our country. So, the Sixth administration must turn this situation around and address the question of our people in these trains. It's not only here; it's in all the provinces ... our major corridors. So, we have to address that. Thank you, Chair.
Question 211: