This month is known as Red October. During this month, the South African Communist Party (SACP) used to come alive. Not any more. The Reds now spend their quality time fighting president Jacob Zuma, their former ally. Indeed there are no permanent friends in politics.
Interestingly, October is also known as the transport month. The transport month seems to have stolen the show from the SACP. The month is dominated by the transport minister and her provincial MECs for transport.
The pertinent question is: what is the significance of the transport month? It affords the transport minister and her provincial MECs an opportunity to highlight the important role played and invaluable contribution made by transport in our lives and economy.
But the transport month means nothing to the citizens of the greater West Rand. Twenty-two years after our hard-earned democracy, there is no transport system in West Rand. Not only that, there is no plan to improve transport. That’s scandalous.
The West Rand is one of the poorest regions in Gauteng. The lack of a proper transport system contributes to the poverty situation in the region. And the government is well aware of that but it is doing nothing to change the situation. Why is West Rand marginalised and subjected to poverty?
The MEC for transport in Gauteng, Ismael Vadi, appears to be a nice person and passionate about his work. However, Vadi has no plan to improve transport in the West Rand. Is that why he’s never visited the region during October?
For how long are the citizens of the West Rand going to rely solely on taxis? A long time to come, it seems. This is a clear case of lack of service delivery for the citizens of the West. The government has really failed – and continues to fail – the region on the transport front.
