November 25, 2008 Edition 1

Bonke Dumisa

The time has come for all political parties in KwaZulu-Natal, all trade union formations, different business stakeholders and the general public to learn that sometimes we have to agree to temporarily put all our petty differences and petty squabbles aside where there is need to confront a common problem.

At this time, our common enemy is the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral); and we must fight it and defeat it on the proposed new toll plazas within the eThekwini metropolitan area.

We want to see S’bu Ndebele and Zweli Mkhize of the ANC, Zanele Magwaza of the IFP, Roger Burrows of the DA, Hawu Mbatha of Nadeco, Amichand Rajbansi of the Minority Front, Obed Mlaba and Mike Sutcliffe of the Thekwini Municipality, Bongani Msomi of the UDM, Zet Luzipho of Cosatu, Bishop Rubin Philip of the Anglican Church, Malegapuru Makgoba of the University KwaZulu-Natal, the mayor of Ugu district, and many other leaders closing ranks and all toyi-toyi together to fight the imposition of these proposed exploitative new toll gates in Durban.

I have just finished reading a 47-page report on the proposed N2 Wild Coast toll highway, compiled by CCA Environmental (Pty) Ltd, and dated October 2008.

It is quite clear from the document that this approximately 470km stretch of road is meant to benefit mostly the Eastern Cape, and make driving in the more dangerous parts of the Transkei more convenient.

The document states: “The proposed route alignment would connect major economic centres, including East London, Butterworth, Mthatha, Lusikisiki, Port Edward, Port Shepstone and Durban, and would be about 75km shorter than the existing N2 route between East London and Durban via Mount Frere, Kokstad and Harding.”

Proposed

It says that about 80% of the proposed route utilises existing road sections, as follows: existing N2 between the Gonubie Interchange and Mthatha; existing R61 between Mthatha and Ndwalane; existing R61 between Ntafufu River and Lusikisiki; and existing R61 and N2 between the Mthamvuna River and the Isipingo Interchange.

The report has detailed descriptions of what will be done on each part of the proposed 470km road.

There are tables that clearly spell out the amount of work to be done on each section of this road. Tables three to nine of this report show it will be to the benefit of all that billions of rands are spent reconstructing or newly constructing the road from the Gonubie Interchange near East London all the way up to the Mthamvuna River.

The report states: “New road construction is proposed between Ndwalane and Ntafufu, and between Lusikisiki and the Mthamvuna River (“greenfields” section). Within the new road sections, bridge crossings are required at the Mzimvubu, Ntafufu, Msikaba, Kwadlamba, Mthentu, Mnyameni, Kulumbe, Mphahlane and Mzamba rivers.”

We must all agree that it is fair that we must be expected to pay toll fees for this new or significantly upgraded road network up to Mthamvuna River.

Expensive as it feels, there is justification for spending lots of money on toll fees in these areas, because it will save one the inconvenience and discomfort of driving between Mount Frere, Kokstad and Harding.

One may also accept that maybe the 23km stretch from Mthamvuna River to Southbroom may be worth paying toll fees for, because of the proposed extra work to be done on that road. There ends any justification for any toll fees. Anything north of Southbroom is not worth paying additional toll fees for.

Sanral wants to justify its proposed toll fees at Isipingo on grounds that it will, inter alia, widen the Amanzimtoti River Bridge, add a third lane and paved shoulder from Amanzimtoti River northwards, add a third lane in each direction between the Adams Road Interchange (Amanzimtoti) to Dickens Road Interchange (Athlone Park), and add a fourth lane in each direction between the Dickens Road Interchange and Joyner Road in Prospecton (Isipingo).

While these necessary improvements are welcome and may reduce the peak period congestion in this area; the construction of toll plazas in these areas will have the opposite effects, in that toll plazas will simply create an unnecessary disruption of traffic flow in this area.

At an earlier stakeholders’ meeting I attended on this matter, Sanral did admit that it had projected that as much as 80% of its toll fees on this Wild Coast Toll Highway project would be generated at the proposed Isipingo toll plaza.

Allowed

This exploitation of the people of KwaZulu-Natal in general, and the people of eThekwini in particular, cannot be allowed.

The further proposed toll plaza at the new La Mercy King Shaka International Airport is just equally unacceptable. The people of KwaZulu-Natal can only blame themselves if these proposed new toll plazas materialise.

The amount of additional toll fees that Sanral wants to make between Southbroom to Hibberdene, Hibberdene to Winklespruit, and Winklespruit to Isipingo cannot be justified; and the people of KwaZulu-Natal must all stand up, fight and stop it.

Our national Minister of Transport, Jeff Radebe, must be “helped” to prevail on Sanral on this matter.

Radebe must instruct Sanral that there must be no new toll plazas between the existing Oribi toll plaza, to the south, and the existing Tongaat Toll Plaza, to the north.

I also urge the people of this province to contact all the members of parliament from this province, members of the KZN Provincial Legislature, municipal councillors around the affected areas, regardless of political party affiliation, and any other interested stakeholders to make this a 2009 election issue.

I must confirm that the KZN legislature, municipality, and Cosatu in KwaZulu-Natal, have all already publicly objected to these proposed new toll plazas.

The people of Amanzimtoti have already said they oppose these new toll plazas.

Let us now have people in the black and Indian townships stand up and be counted on this.

Let the churches address this issue on behalf of their congregations. Let the taxi people shout and oppose this publicly.

Let us all say “no” to new toll fees between Oribi and Tongaat.

Posted on November 28th, 2008
Filed under: Newspaper and Media