Madam Deputy Speaker, Transport and Water Affairs are usually the last Votes that we deal with in this particular debate. One of two things happens: We either have no time to speak or more time to speak. Because there are no Ministers in the House today, I have the latter opportunity. I want to thank both of our Ministers for being here and being held accountable. I appreciate them being here.
I will be talking about Programme 3: Transport Regulation and Accident and Incident Investigation, which, if the Minister would like to look in the book, it is on page 350. I will refer to it specifically. It is very nice to know that Minister Manuel is also in the House, because he will remember what I am going to be talking about here.
If you recall, when Natis - the National Traffic Information System - was migrated to eNatis, there was a big deficit of about R111 million, if I remember correctly. The Minister then decided in his wisdom that the best thing to do in order to recover that debt and to repay the deficit, was to levy a fee on every vehicle registration licensing transaction that takes place in the country. It was then about R30; it is now R36.
Minister, in light of the revelations we had yesterday in the portfolio committee, during which it was stated that R315 million of the very money I am talking about - the licensing transaction fees that were collected by the Road Traffic Management Corporation, RTMC, is now being utilised for their operating costs, against a Treasury directive, I might add, I would like to know what action is being considered to recover those funds and will the R195 million now appropriated under Programme 3 suffice to continue the maintenance of the eNatis database?
Furthermore, could the Minister give his assurance to the motoring public that as a result of the irregular transgressions of this transaction fee by the Road Traffic Management Corporation, he will not increase the R36 transaction fee in any manner to offset this irregularity? To continue with this transaction fee beyond the original recovery cost, which Mr Manuel wanted to get back - and which I think he has more than trebled by now - won't be necessary. Thank you very much. Can I talk some more? [Interjections.] [Laughter.]