Malibongwe! [Praise!]Hon Chairperson, Minister Dipuo Peters, hon Deputy Minister Chikunga, hon members of the House, the MECs from our various provinces, officials from the Department of Transport, led by the acting director-general; CEOs and chairpersons of public entities in the Department of Transport, stakeholders in the Department of Transport, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, ri perile [good evening].
In the preamble of the ruling party's manifesto, President Jacob Zuma said, and I quote:
Twenty years ago we began a new journey to eradicate the oppressive legacy of colonialism and apartheid. It has been 20 years of freedom and democracy in which we have made significant steps towards achieving the vision of the Freedom Charter.
The manifesto of the ruling party goes on to say that the progress made in 20 years of democracy to eradicate the legacy of 340 years of colonialism and apartheid sets the foundation for what still needs to be done into the future. Indeed ...
... lehono go phala maabane, gosasa go tla phala lehono. [... it gets better by the day.]
The impressive record of what the department has achieved in the past few years in terms of infrastructure and developing policies and integrated transport operations, among other successes, cannot go unnoticed. It is therefore important to say that socioeconomic transformation has been the agenda of this department in the past 20 years - an agenda that is dictated to by the ANC.
This does not mean that the road the department has traversed in the past 20 years is not a road without challenges, but suffice to say that the road ahead is looking bright, as the committee heard during the presentation.
With a budget of R48,7 billion, the department has emphasised, in their strategic overview, that they will maximise efforts to make sure that they meet their target as outlined. However, as a committee, we need to say to the department that having gone through the Auditor-General's report, having seen that the Annual Performance Plan, APP, of the department is not smart, the committee believes that, going forward, that will be a thing of the past.
Hon members, there is a need for the department to look into the challenges of vacancies, particularly in the senior management. As I said in the introduction, there are many senior management vacancies in the department, which is led by an acting director-general. The issue of employment equity is one of the things that the department must look into. Lastly, the department should look into people with disabilities.
When we as the committee say this, we are applying it not only to the department but to public entities as a whole. We are excited because the department, working as it is with the Department of Higher Education, will be able to produce a lot of professionals to fill those vacancies.
The committee recognises the massive progress that has been made by the department, particularly on the National Transport Master Plan, Natmap. The National Development Plan, in its making, demands that there should be forward planning that integrates everything. We believe that with Natmap this is what is going to be addressed.
Among other things, let me quote what Minister Sisulu said the aim was in the founding document of Natmap:
To develop a dynamic, long-term and sustainable land use/multimodal transportation systems framework for the development of network infrastructure facilities, interchange terminal facilities and service delivery.
This is an indication that the department is geared to deliver services to our people. In its approach, the project phase talks to - among other things - the situation that is the status quo. It talks to the analysis of the situation. It also talks to the forward-planning approach and, importantly, it is talking to the action agenda, which will actually be implemented in the not-so-distant future.
This means that the department, in line with the micro policies of a developmental state, is adhering to what the ANC is saying. This therefore means that the department is adhering to what the President of the Republic of South Africa said in the state of the nation address: These are the radical changes that he is expecting.
Key in what the department should be working towards is the proposed regional integration. We believe that this will enhance the economy and the growth of the region in totality. We are waiting in anticipation for the agreements that will pass through our committee and into this House which, we believe, will in the future see the creation of a region that is hard at work.
As the region of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, we are being challenged to create jobs and eradicate poverty and unemployment. As the department, we will be dealing with transformation in marine areas, in civil aviation and in corridor transport systems. We believe that the development of skills in SADC, making sure that we create employment, will be the in thing.
Committee members will be looking forward to the department's industrialisation agenda in the region. However, we are also urging the department to give us an update on progress that has been made in terms of the Millennium Development Goals, Nepad issues and the African Peer Review Mechanism programmes of the department.
Hon members, a democratic developmental state is capable of effectively transforming the economic agenda. This developmental state should be at the centre of that transformation agenda. This is what has been quoted in the resolution report of the 53rd national conference of the ANC.
If I have to take myself down memory lane, feasibility studies have been done on the Moloto Rail Development Corridor. Since 2004, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces have been part of these feasibility studies. We are of the opinion that this is not the time for feasibility studies anymore; that our people should be able to see ...
... hu khou duba buse hafha fhasi. [... people very busy at work.]
Minister, our people's patience is not limitless. We are requesting your department to work tirelessly. If needs be, they must work 24/7. If needs be, they must work 365 days a year to make sure that this project goes ahead as speedily as possible, because one life lost is one life too many. [Applause.] Transport network development is a pillar of the economy. We know that the people who drive from Kwaggafontein to Pretoria are strengthening the economy of our country. Therefore, as you deal with the Moloto Road Corridor, you must remember that you are also dealing with the challenges of our economy, which is growing but without creating enough jobs.
Hon Minister, it is prudent that you will be manufacturing the rolling stock and revitalising the road network infrastructure. We believe that a massive skills development programme should be included in all the things that the department will be doing.
This morning, I was watching SABC and one Bongani Molope, who is a commuter representative, revealed certain shocking situations that are being experienced by commuters in their day-to-day activities as a result of matters relating to Metrorail or the Passenger Rail Agency of SA, Prasa. I believe these need urgent attention.
Bongani Molope indicated that some trains arrive on time while others do not arrive on time or never arrive at all, which poses a challenge to them because they are unable to go to work. Molope also impressed upon his interviewer the fact that there is so much congestion during peak and rush hours that they become highly challenged as commuters because the coaches are so full. Molope also said the safety and security of commuters in these trains are nonexistent. I believe that Prasa should take serious heed of the call that Molope made this morning.
In their response, the spokesperson for Prasa indicated that there are challenges and that they are created by a variety of factors. Among other things, she indicated that there are criminals who are hellbent on stealing the cables and making sure that they take the railway metals. This is unacceptable. As South Africans, we need to condemn the people who are doing these heinous types of crime because the lives of commuters are at stake.
In the same breath, let us call on the business people who are dealing in scrap metal to account for the scrap that comes into their business premises. [Applause.] We also call on our communities to refrain from damaging the assets that government is trying to create.
The development, maintenance and regulation of road infrastructure is the domain of the department and, as indicated by the Minister here, as much as 41% of the budget goes to the provinces to make sure that road infrastructure is dealt with. Minister, I believe you should develop a monitoring system to make sure that our local municipalities and provinces use those grants for what they are meant for. It is not right and proper that people are able to claim money for work they have not done while our people are disadvantaged because the road infrastructure will not be as expected. Minister, in the same breath, I also think we should award those provincial departments and municipalities that are doing proper work and also make sure that they attest to and account for all the money they are spending in this particular programme. These grants have not been allocated for a salary or any other purpose. They have been allocated to road maintenance, the pothole recovery plan and the development of new roads. And this was done because in the rural areas road safety has become an issue of paramount importance. In the rural areas, road networks are needed more today than yesterday.
Of importance is that when we lose lives because our roads are not in good condition; when we lose lives because there are overloaded vehicles on the road; and when we lose lives because the cars are not in good condition, these are the things that we bring to the department, saying, please, have a programme that runs 365 days a year and that will look into the safety of our commuters, the safety of our roads and compliance with the law.
Let me indicate that civil aviation and maritime transport are programmes that are not properly known to the people of the Republic of SA. It is exciting to see that the department is taking these programmes to a variety of schools in the different provinces of our country. We believe that our learners will be able to understand and venture into professions that are outlined in these presentations.
Also of importance is the fact that the department is embarking on a rigorous transformation agenda, wherein some black economic empowerment, BEE, people will be able to find jobs and businesses in the maritime and aviation sectors. I want to applaud the department for this.
The committee therefore believes that the department must live up to its mandate of maintaining a safe, secure, efficient and reliable transport system; one that will increase the mobility of our people, particularly regarding the modes of public transport in their areas. The fast-tracking of all outstanding policies, particularly scholar transport, is of the essence. This should be fast-tracked yesterday.
The department should also take cognisance of the fact that this is the department that produces more greenhouse gases than any other as they go about their day-to-day business. We believe the department will be able to comply and work very closely with the other departments in this faculty so that we can comply with what is expected, namely to make sure that we do not pollute the environment but become part of the people who protect against climate change and save the continent.
With these words, we as the committee want to support Budget Vote 37. I thank you. [Applause.]