Chairperson, as Cope, we also want to extend our congratulations to both Ministers, Minister S'bu Ndebele and the Deputy Minister. We agree with you in principle, Mr Minister, that transport is the backbone of economic activity. Unfortunately, in our country, the department is associated with thousands of deaths on our roads, poorly maintained roads and the absence of an integrated transport system.
Hon Minister, we are also aware that you touched on the above issues that I have raised - issues of the failure of the proper maintenance of our roads and the deaths that are taking place on our roads - in your budget speech. As a result, we, as Cope, wish to indicate that we are going to support your budget.
Given the track record of this department, the big question is not really around the grand sounding policies of integration, but whether it will be in a position to implement them. We have almost half of the vacancies in the department not filled, cycle after cycle. Instead of these positions being filled, you have a stop-gap management where acting directors are put into positions instead of employing permanent managers who will take over those responsibilities.
It is crucial that the matters raised by the Auditor-General about the general lack of financial control in the department are dealt with, especially in the department that has to handle multibillion rand projects. We commend you for having already taken a stance against suppliers who tend to bribe officials. I must also point out that you indicated that you would pay particular attention to corruption in your speech. We would like to commend you for that, Mr Minister.
I must again highlight that your refusal of an appropriate gift, Mr Minister, despite the advice of the President, is hopefully the beginning of good governance. [Applause.] Given these remarks by the Auditor-General about your department, it seems to us that you will need to make sure that this also cascades to actual governance within the department. Corrupt officials need to be rooted out in this regard. As Cope, we will be watching with interest whether you will make any official take responsibility for this poor record of audit reports.
The department, by its own admission, has reported the slow pace of the implementation of what was meant to be the beginning of the integration of our transport system. The taxi industry has a special place in the hearts of our people. It is one industry that has survived against all odds. The apartheid government failed dismally to control this industry. It is, today, a singular success story of budding entrepreneurship.
Both the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme, TRP, and the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, system, with all their good intentions, are now seen by the direct beneficiaries of the taxi industry as an attempt by government to undermine this success story. We know that this is not so. But due to poor communication and sometimes arrogance on the part of your predecessor, perhaps buoyed by the ANC majority, we had a situation where commuters were held to ransom because the industry claimed not to have been consulted properly.
As with the strike of doctors that is embarrassing the country today, there is no shortcut to consulting the people, Mr Minister, when implementing measures that may affect their livelihoods. The only real test of consultation is a harmonious outcome and not a perpetual dissent or dispute.
We also wish to highlight that there are, therefore, opportunities to improve the transport infrastructure. Government has huge opportunities to improve transport infrastructure. It is quite clear that the number of cars on our roads only serves to slow down economic activity and generate frustration, especially in places such as Gauteng, where travelling between major centres can take as long as two or more hours in one direction. This is a direct result of poor planning over many years where there is no coherent transport system. It seems that government has done little to change the apartheid planning that has resulted in the clogging of roads and inefficient use of time.
The Gautrain, an innovative and bold project initiated under the leadership of the then Premier, Mbhazima Shilowa, will not be the answer to all the problems in this regard, but it is an exceptional start. In this regard, Metrorail's introduction of business express lines between Khayelitsha and Cape Town, as well as between Soweto and Johannesburg, must be rolled out in other major centres.
The rail commuter corporation has to spend more resources to promote the use of its facilities and work closely to consolidate initiatives that will bolster the feeder transportation. [Interjections.]
In conclusion, we commend the department for the preparations they are making to ensure that come 2010, we will have a running transport network. We want a full report on rumours that the department is importing buses when such a tender could have been sourced locally. Our people need to benefit directly from 2010. It must be under serious and exceptional circumstances that we outsource to other countries to that extend. I thank you. [Applause.]