Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula at EcoPark in Centurion on 7 October 2021. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is expected to make an announcement relating to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) soon.
On Monday, Mbalula launched this year’s October Transport Month campaign which will place focus on South Africa’s railway network.
Delivering his keynote address, Mbalula said Prasa was on track with its plans to revive 10 key rail corridors across the country and invest in new trains to service passengers.
He said “a lot of revelations” will be announced “in the coming weeks” regarding the work being done at Prasa.
“That is why I’m not going to allow anyone to derail me about what must happen at Prasa and if anyone want to stand in my way, I will put you in your place. I don’t care whoever they are. Our job here is to change things and make things happen for this government which is very important,” he said.
ALSO READ: Investigation into Prasa’s 3,000 ghost workers underway – Mbalula
Last month, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations heard how Prasa has underspent on capital projects for six years.
Mbalula told the committee that Prasa’s board was introducing measures to bolster the railway company’s ability to spend infrastructure more efficiently.
The Transport Minister earlier insisted that he was not appointed in his position “to steal”.
“That shows that the moment of truth has arrived. There is no longer stealing with impunity thinking that the state will not intervene.
“You steal and there will be consequences and you will be arrested as it happens. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what your political credentials are. If you are stealing from our people, you will be arrested because none of us were sent here to come and steal.
“[President Cyril] Ramaphosa didn’t [appoint] me to steal, he sent me to work. We must deliver service [because] this is the work we have been sent to do,” he said.
After the briefing, Mbalula was asked to provide an update on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP).
He insisted yet again that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana would make an announcement on the future of e-tolls during the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).
“We are supposed to give feedback on the e-tolls to Cabinet tomorrow and a pronouncement should be made at the MTBPS. So I think the Minister of Finance will make a proposition to Cabinet about what is the future of e-tolls,” he said.
RELATED: Mbalula has no intentions of scrapping e-tolls, says DA
“Like I told you a long time ago, this problem is not mine… it’s not part of the Department of Transport. I work with [National] Treasury and they consider a whole lot of things in terms of arriving at the decision to scrap [e-tolls].
“If I was alone and I had all the powers, I would have long ago said let’s scrap or not scrap e-tolls. We are looking at options that take everything into consideration,” the minister added.
Mbalula recently dismissed suggestions that government would increase the fuel levy to raise additional revenue to fund the e-tolls, however, the minister did admit that this option was considered at some point.
Earlier this year, Godongwana informed Parliament that the user-pay principle would be retained in some form.
This came after Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, in September last year, also indicated that government was in support of a user-pay policy on e-tolls.
NOW READ: Does Sanral’s new tender finally signal the end of e-tolls?