 
SPEECH BY KWAZULU-NATAL MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, MR S’BU NDEBELE DURING THE HANDOVER OF THE FIRST TEN HORSES TO SENTINEL LOGISTICS
The Managing Director of Sentinel Logistics, Mr Ramnarain It gives me pleasure to be invited here today at the handing over of the first ten horses to Sentinel Logistics. I first want to congratulate Sentinel Logistics for being one of the finest transport service providers in the country. Acording to our records Sentinel vehicles have never appeared in the register of overloaded vehicles. Secondly, it is worth mentioning that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has had a good working relationship with Sentinel Logistics who have always sought our advice, especially during Sentinel’s formative stages. Today, the company operates an immaculate fleet of over 200 vehicles and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is proud to have such a globally competitive company operating within its area of jurisdiction. It is worth mentioning that Sentinel Logistics operates at a time when transport as an important factor in our economy is facing manifold challenges. Your responses to these challenges will have a direct impact on our economy, the country and the continent. On the one hand one may cite the significance of modifying trucks to suit South African conditions. One the other hand electronic business has come with new challenges at the time when local trucking companies are still grappling with the grim realities of globalisation and international competition. The shortage of good drivers, labour demand, fuel prices, the state of roads as well as the impact of HIV/AIDS all converge to pose serious challenges to the trucking industry. Whether we realize it or not transport has become a pillar of our economy. In spite of Afro-pessimism and what is said about our country in terms of competitiveness ratings, south Africa is recognized world-wide as an emerging market. The Economist Magazine, a catechism of investors, classifies South Africa as an emerging market alongside China, Brazil and Portugal. Our transport infrastructure has a very significant role in this regard. More than 80% of goods and people within KwaZulu-Natal are transported by road. The number of vehicles on our roads increases annually with the effect that as the Department we have been forced to draft legislation ensuring maximum safety for all road users. Road crash statistics had been high in South Africa and especially in KwaZulu-Natal when compared to other world’s crash statistics. However, since the formation of Asiphephe (Let Us Be Safe) Road Safety Programme, there has been substantial decrease in fatalities in the roads of KwaZulu-Natal. Asiphephe is a scientifically based, long-term road safety programme combining high volume enforcement, emotive advertising, community education, road safety engineering, evaluation and research in a sustained programme to stop road deaths. Overloading poses a serious problem on our roads and I am very happy to note that Sentinel Logistics appears nowhere in our register of overloaded vehicles. This projects a very good image for a company operating within our Province. KwaZulu-Natal has developed an international reputation for its home-grown overloading competency. As such the Department of Transport is acknowledged as leaders in South Africa and Southern Africa, and is considered to be even more advanced than Victoria in Australia , Sweden , England , Holland and several states in America. In spite of recent reports about overloaded trucks avoiding N2 and N3, it has emerged that KwaZulu-Natal has the lowest overloading control and heavy motor vehicle safety. We have finalised a co-operative agreement with the South African National roads Agency known as the N3 Overloading Corridor Project. This is a first in South Africa and appears likely to be a first internationally. The SANRA Agreement means that national Government pays an annual amount to the KZN Department of Transport for three years to staff stations on N3 and N11 with an additional shift of patrol officers. This provides 24 hour cover with an emphasis on overloading control and heavy motor vehicle safety. The aim is to save lives as well as to protect the country’s investment in road infrastructure. As a result of this agreement 47 new RTI officers were appointed on January 4, 2000. Seven extra promotional posts have also been funded in terms of this agreement. In this way the Department of Transport will reduce the highway hijackings and the robbery of heavy vehicles. In the final analysis, I would like to congratulate Sentinel Logistics for the good example they have set to other emerging trucking companies through their high regard of safety standards. It is my fervent hope that the empowerment programmes that you have put in place will contribute to the SMME Development in our Province. I thank you.
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