Public and media statement by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma met with the management and all categories of staff from both departments working in King Cetshwayo, Zululand and UMkhanyakude districts.
The focus of the meeting was to ensure that we work collectively to accelerate the construction of road and human settlements for the benefit of communities.
In particular, we have decided to act decisively in view of the fact that the problem of truck congestion is resurfacing.
The team from Road Traffic Inspectorate will work flat out with municipalities and key stakeholders such as Transnet, Road Freight Association and Zululand Chanber of Business to prevent truck congestion leading into the Port of Richards Bay from the N2 highway.
In addition, we commit to work with Transnet and Richards Bay Bulk Terminal to ensure safe and effective movement of coal destined for exports.
Our roads have been damaged and created challenges such as truck related accidents that continue to claim innocent lives.
There is a special team of traffic officers uTalagu that has been assigned to monitor the movements of trucks.
Addressing these challenges means that as government we must invest in the development of infrastructure to accommodate the movement of goods and people.
In addition, we need to work hard to improve railway networks and tap into aviation and maritime sectors to facilitate the movement of goods.
We say this because we understand that this province is not only a construction site but strategically located along the longest coastline in Africa with more than 600 kilometres.
This means that our economy is driven largely through the transport and logistics sectors based on the two major ports housed in the Province, namely Port of Richards Bay and the Port of Durban.
Both ports are economically strategic not only to the Province of KZN, but also to the national economy of South Africa since they are linked to the economic heartland of South Africa, Gauteng, via road and rail networks.
The Port of Durban is also a transit point for cross border container traffic for our neighbouring countries – a Gateway to Southern Africa.
The Ports of Richards Bay and Durban are important contributors to international trade and a significant enabler for South Africa’s and the Province’s economic development.
We are working with national government to ensure the expansion of road networks – the N2 and N3, along with our ports.
Apart from speeding up construction of houses for communities, we understand that there will be a growing demand for human settlements and pressure on road networks.
With Richards Bay Industrial Economic Zone being a haven for foreign direct investment and site for energy infrastructure, we must be ready to be the host of the 3,000 MW gas-to-power plant to be constructed by Eskom.
