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ADDRESS AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF MAIN ROAD 443 FROM BHAMBANANA TO INGWAVUMA BY ME S'BU NDEBELE, MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, KWAZULU-NATAL26 June 2001, Ingwavuma Sports Ground
Master of Ceremonies Through the apartheid policies of our previous government South Africa became increasingly isolated from the rest of Africa and the world. Border towns such as Ingwavuma, which in years gone by were probably busy business centres built on thriving gross border trade became the end of the road when the border post was closed. Many businesses would have suffered and jobs would have been lost. The future must have looked bleak for a large number of people in this district, but this has now changed. As we progress and grow with our new democratic government doors of opportunity are opening all around us. South Africa has been catapulted onto centre stage and we are becoming increasingly respected intentionally. Our neighbours are seeing us in a totally new light and are expecting us to play a leading role in the development of the Southern African region. This expectation has given rise to the concept of an African Renaissance. Our political liberation, our international acceptance and our neighbours as well. Since KwaZulu-Natal has international borders with Mozambique and Swaziland it is destined to play a major role, in collaboration with its neighbours, in developing this sub-region. It is common knowledge that good road infrastructure is a vital ingredient to sustainable development and economic growth. Realising the important contribution it can make, the Department of Transport in this province has embarked on an ambitious road upgrading programme. The upgraded roads will facilitate economic development and through their construction and maintenance, jobs will be created, skills will be developed and opportunities will be made for real black economic empowerment. Though the low traffic count of 150 vehicles per day meant that this project was placed low down the list of roads needing to be surfaced, Main Road 443 from Bhambanana to Ingwavuma was identified in 1998 as a strategic road. When upgraded the road would not only reinstate the much-needed link to the Swaziland border post but would provide the catalyst for the development of Ingwavuma town and the surrounding district. This completed project now provides a surfaced road between the two major development nodes of the Ingwavuma district namely the towns of Ingwavuma and Kwangwanase. More importantly when fully completed it will provide the surfaced link between Swaziland and the SDI route, which is the major development corridor between the ports of Durban and Richards Bay and Mozambique. Construction of the road began in 1999 on a fairly small budget with the result that progress was slow. The Rural Road Transport Forum acknowledging the importance of the project allocated R400 000 of its development budget. Additional funds of R1 100 000 were sourced from the special projects budget and R1 053 241 from the maintenance budget to speed up the progress. Our road construction unit ably lead by our Foreman, Mr Ven Gumede, and with the assistance of a few emerging contractors, has completed the surfacing of the first 22 kilometres from Bhambanana to Ingwavuma. In addition to this funding an amount of R11,17 million was spent on the rehabilitation of the Jozini to Bhambanana road and a further R11,4 million was spent on the Bhambanana to the Lubombo SDI Road. These are the important link roads to the Ingwavuma and Kosi Bay areas. We have reached a milestone in the upgrading of this road and we have reason to celebrate, but the project is not yet complete. Although we do not have sufficient funds to build all the roads we would like to, we will continue to lobby for additional funds to extend the upgrading to the Swaziland border post through the Cecil Mack's Pass. Unfortunately this 14 kilometre section of road will cost about R15 million to upgrade. However we will strive to source the funds as soon as possible to allow u to realise our dream of a surfaced road to the border that will facilitate cross-border trade and tourism and bring increased economic activity to Ingwavuma. I thank you.
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