Action SA MP Athol Trollip has told President Cyril Ramaphosa that Nelson Mandela Bay roads are being destroyed by trucks carrying rail freight because train tracks were allowed to be destroyed.
Trollip was speaking last week in response to Ramaphosa’s opening of parliament address, and raised key issues affecting the city.
He repeated a call made during his time in parliament, when he was with the DA in 2009 and had demanded a dedicated oversight committee on the presidency.
Trollip last week spoke about how the Bay’s roads were destroyed by trucks transporting coal to and from the Markman industrial area.
“Our roads are being destroyed by trucks carrying rail freight on them because the rail network was allowed to be destroyed.
“Bulk freight rail for coal and manganese should never be allowed to be on our roads, and, if it not for the elite who are heavily connected in road freight transport, it wouldn’t be allowed. This needs oversight.”
Manganese operations have become a thorny issue in the metro as the city’s roads have become much more congested due to the large trucks operating here.
Debris flying off the trucks has also been credited for windscreen breakages along the N2 and municipal workers regularly have to sweep this up and remove it.
Trollip said when Operation Vulindlela was conceptualised, it was to co-ordinate the work of key priority departments and break down silos, which he said was a noble idea.
“Operation Vulindlela has essentially become a dual service or a new government department with all the related costs, and serves only to treat the symptoms of departmental dysfunction and not their cause.
“Look at transport, where Vulindlela has a specific focus.
“Manganese export management in Nelson Mandela Bay is parlous.
“It is destroying municipal and state infrastructure and compromising public health.
“The manganese terminal and fuel tankers at the PE Harbour should have been relocated to Coega IDZ and the Port of Ngqura years ago, but the deadlines keep moving.
“It’s because these facilities are depreciated and thus much more profitable to continue using them as new environmentally compliant facilities would drastically reduce profit,” Trollip said.
Trollip added that in the run-up to the May 29 elections, Ramaphosa was in the metro and announced the government had crime under control.
“You came to Nelson Mandela Bay and said you had crime under control.
“People are still dying in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“You do not have crime under control.”
His comment comes on the back of the Civil Society Coalition requesting Ramaphosa to declare a state of disaster in light of escalating crime in the city.
The coalition wrote last week and requested the declaration and establishment of a dedicated safety and security task force to counter crime in the Bay.
Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Operation Vulindlela was a joint initiative of the presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms and support economic recovery.
"Operation Vulindlela aims to modernise and transform network industries, including electricity, water, transport and digital communications.
"Operation Vulindlela does not provide oversight over the usage of infrastructure."
HeraldLIVE
Intervention needed to save Nelson Mandela Bay roads, Trollip tells president
Image: SUPPLIED
Action SA MP Athol Trollip has told President Cyril Ramaphosa that Nelson Mandela Bay roads are being destroyed by trucks carrying rail freight because train tracks were allowed to be destroyed.
Trollip was speaking last week in response to Ramaphosa’s opening of parliament address, and raised key issues affecting the city.
He repeated a call made during his time in parliament, when he was with the DA in 2009 and had demanded a dedicated oversight committee on the presidency.
Trollip last week spoke about how the Bay’s roads were destroyed by trucks transporting coal to and from the Markman industrial area.
“Our roads are being destroyed by trucks carrying rail freight on them because the rail network was allowed to be destroyed.
“Bulk freight rail for coal and manganese should never be allowed to be on our roads, and, if it not for the elite who are heavily connected in road freight transport, it wouldn’t be allowed. This needs oversight.”
Manganese operations have become a thorny issue in the metro as the city’s roads have become much more congested due to the large trucks operating here.
Debris flying off the trucks has also been credited for windscreen breakages along the N2 and municipal workers regularly have to sweep this up and remove it.
Trollip said when Operation Vulindlela was conceptualised, it was to co-ordinate the work of key priority departments and break down silos, which he said was a noble idea.
“Operation Vulindlela has essentially become a dual service or a new government department with all the related costs, and serves only to treat the symptoms of departmental dysfunction and not their cause.
“Look at transport, where Vulindlela has a specific focus.
“Manganese export management in Nelson Mandela Bay is parlous.
“It is destroying municipal and state infrastructure and compromising public health.
“The manganese terminal and fuel tankers at the PE Harbour should have been relocated to Coega IDZ and the Port of Ngqura years ago, but the deadlines keep moving.
“It’s because these facilities are depreciated and thus much more profitable to continue using them as new environmentally compliant facilities would drastically reduce profit,” Trollip said.
Trollip added that in the run-up to the May 29 elections, Ramaphosa was in the metro and announced the government had crime under control.
“You came to Nelson Mandela Bay and said you had crime under control.
“People are still dying in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“You do not have crime under control.”
His comment comes on the back of the Civil Society Coalition requesting Ramaphosa to declare a state of disaster in light of escalating crime in the city.
The coalition wrote last week and requested the declaration and establishment of a dedicated safety and security task force to counter crime in the Bay.
Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Operation Vulindlela was a joint initiative of the presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms and support economic recovery.
"Operation Vulindlela aims to modernise and transform network industries, including electricity, water, transport and digital communications.
"Operation Vulindlela does not provide oversight over the usage of infrastructure."
HeraldLIVE
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