The abovementioned matter has reference.

Pursuant to your response to my parliamentary question about the high rate of accidents in the roads between East London and Kokstad, I would like to share my suggestions on how to avert this catastrophe.

Once more, we thank you for your prompt response to our calls in 2009 requesting you to invest in the infrastructure of the long neglected eastern part of the Eastern Cape. There are notable improvements. We have seen sporadic maintenance work on N2 and an increase in the number of Presidential projects in Mthatha.

In accordance with my parliamentary suggestion to you, there is a need to come up with strategies to ease the congestion on N2. These areas should be incorporated into Transnet’s railway system upgrade project.

On the 4-5th of August 2011, I attended an African Renaissance Conference, which was held at the Durban International Convention Centre dealing with infrastructure development. I was disappointed to learn that no plans were made to link the eastern part of the Eastern Cape to Kwa-Zulu Natal and the rest of the Country.

Since infrastructure development projects are coordinated at your Office, I request you to incorporate it into the national infrastructure development programme.

We have followed media announcements by the Minister of Transport and Transnet about billions of Rands to be spent on the Country’s infrastructure development over the next few years, and would like to see area in question incorporated.

Mzimvubu Water Resources Development Project
We also call on your Office to look into the status of this project. On briefing the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs in 2010, former Minister of Environmental Affairs, Buyelwa Sonjica, confirmed that this project had been resuscitated and Cabinet wanted it to be expedited. However, after listening to this year’s budget speeches of the same Department and the Ministry of Finance, no mention was made of the project.

As a background, this project was initiated by then Transkei Government with the sole objective of bringing clean water to the people and providing adequate water supplies to irrigation and hydro electric schemes. In 1988, a study was completed which cost the Transkei Government 13 million Rands.

The Development Bank of Southern Africa and other stakeholders played a critical role in this project. When we asked then South African Government to effect the project, it withheld the funds owing to our close relationship with liberation movements.

Consequently, there would be no need to employ consultants to rework the project, because studies were conducted. We should get an Auditing Firm to carry out a thorough cost benefit analysis of reviving the project, factoring cost escalations over the years.

We would like to propose that a project monitoring committee be established which would be comprised of National, Provincial and Local Governments as well as the members of affected communities. The study showed the major rivers passing through the Transkei area constitute 28 percent of the water supplies of the entire Southern Africa.

The prejudice against the residents of this part of the Country must come to an end at once. In the past, this area endured harsh treatment from then Apartheid regime as a reservoir for cheap labour, and largely because they viewed it as a breeding ground for revolutionaries. The people of this region have always had a legitimate expectation that the ANC Government would conserve this precious resource for their benefit.

The residents of this region fail to comprehend how elite projects, such as speed trains and other similar projects are prioritised over their basic needs. It is time for the region to be properly integrated in the development of the Country’s infrastructure development programme. The use of the general populace as voting cattle is incredibly unjust.

Kind regards,

Bantu Holomisa, MP
UDM President

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