To date, this is not the case. Currently the situation is deteriorating and is becoming near impossible for South Africans to mitigate the high cost of transport.
Chairperson, the impact that efficient transport has on the ability of all South Africans to maximise the opportunities and reach their full potential can never be overstated. It is for this reason that we believe that our approach to public transport and mobility of citizens should always seek to advance their aspirations. We should seek to connect communities and the world in a way that is a catalyst for development rather than a stumbling block to their resolve.
IsiNdebele:
Amahlelo wezokuthutha ahleleke kuhle aletha amathuba womsebenzi, athuthukise ukuthuthwa kwabasebenzi begodu ahlanganisa nemiphakathi.
English:
Not only that, but it is also a key driver for economic development and transformation.
Chairperson, the Department of Transport Annual Performance Plan for the period 2019-2020 falls short of adequately addressing the above disparities in a balanced and efficient manner. In
fact, the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, and his department have proposed to spend R463 million on consultants and business advisory services, which is up from R381 million in the previous financial year.
We can only guess which cadres are going to be at the receiving end of this windfall to the detriment of all South Africans. This amount, close to half a billion rand, should instead be used to maintain existing railway infrastructure.
Chairperson, another dream that has been shattered is the Moloto Rail Corridor. The Department of Transport has no funded plan whatsoever to implement this project. The Moloto Rail Corridor was nothing but a pipedream.
While Minister Mbalula sells pipedreams to the people, his department chose to channel R463 million via the express gravy train corridor to consultants, despite the Cabinet's resolution to reduce the spending on such consultants.
Chairperson, another nightmare in this regime of dreams continues to be the e-toll. The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project continues to haunt the citizens of Gauteng. The truth is that the ANC uses e-tolls for political expediency and to play on the emotions of all Gauteng residents especially during election campaigning time. It is time to do the right thing and take decisive action and scrap e-tolls and stop this thing of tweeting to each other.
The Annual Performance Plan of the department further notes that Sanral has shifted money meant for critical maintenance of non- toll road network to the unsustainable Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. The state of our provincial and national roads is in complete decay. Our roads have left our citizens prone to more accidents with loss of lives on a regular basis yet the department takes away money meant to service roads in Mpumalanga and channels it straight to e-tolls. This nonsense must come to an end; we must urgently shift our focus to maintaining our provincial and national roads.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that of all the 13 cities that are implementing the bus rapid transit system, four of them are in DA-led municipalities; the city of Tshwane, the City of Johannesburg and in George Municipality. That is the DA difference; we put the interests of all South Africans first.
IsiNdebele:
Ngiyathokoza. Bayede!