Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas, has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint an effective new minister to steer the country’s troubled transport sector and lead rail reforms.
The call comes after secretary-general Fikile Mbalula hinted strongly at a Cabinet reshuffle.
Immediately after his election as secretary-general, Mbalula told a media briefing after his election that ANC leaders would discuss with Ramaphosa “when” he will resign as transport minister so that “the work isn’t disrupted”.
In a statement, Quintas said that following his re-election as ANC president, Ramaphosa now had the opportunity to select a more suitable transport minister for his Cabinet next year.
Quintas said: “This is a critical vacancy and one that demands a dynamic, forward-thinking, and solutions-driven individual who is committed to leading the process of rail reform to restore decades of maladministration under the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
“The efficient movement of people and goods is central to restoring and igniting economic growth. We don’t have any time to waste,” he said.
In April this year, Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced that the City of Cape Town’s urban mobility directorate had been cleared to conduct a detailed feasibility study on the metropolitan rail function.
The City’s rail feasibility study is aimed at guiding the administration on the risks, financial implications and time-frames involved in taking over the management of passenger rail from Prasa.
Quintas said that the study was well under way and that the City was determined to finalise this study in the shortest possible time.
He said: “Unfortunately, we have not seen the same sense of urgency from our partner in the national government.
“Calls on outgoing National Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula to convene a working group to run concurrently with the feasibility study have fallen on deaf ears.”
Quintas said this was extremely disappointing, as the local government needed to work closely with national government to see the process completed successfully.
“The White Paper on National Rail Policy that was approved in May 2022 clearly states that passenger rail needs to be devolved to capable local governments. Rail reform as envisaged by the White Paper should be a top priority for the new transport minister.”
“The complex process of enabling competition in the rail sector will require a dedicated, focused, and urgent effort.
“It is possible but requires bold political leadership. I urge the president to choose wisely. We need a reliable and safe passenger rail system that can get people to work on time,” Quintas said.