On 06 December 2013 the Minister of Transport delivered a speech at the ceremony of the handover of the old Durban International Airport site from Acsa to Transnet. The speech: This occasion is an example of co-operation between government departments and enterprise in pursuit of the common goal to accelerate infrastructure development in South Africa. Government has identified rapid infrastructure development as an enabler for economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction. In His State of the Nation Address at the National Assembly in February 2012, His Excellency President Jacob Zuma unveiled a massive infrastructure programmed to stimulate economic growth and social development in our country. The development of the Durban Dig-Out Port forms part of Government’s Strategic Infrastructure Projects. The new Port will have a positive impact on the national economy, and contribute to regional integration in Southern Africa. In addition to its direct impact on the movement of goods, the Port will also contribute to the development of the maritime industry. The Department of Transport is working on a strategy to industrialise the country’s maritime heritage. Through this strategy, South Africa will explore opportunities to improve the country’s competitiveness. Most of the goods into and out of the country are transported through the ports. This transaction involves the transfer of approximately 641 hectares of land, valued at R1.85 billion. Having concluded the first phase of the transaction between the two departments, the Department of Transport will promulgate the Durban Dig Out Port in terms of the Ports Act of 2005. As required by the law, the Department of Transport will undertake necessary consultations with the affected communities and the general public, before the Port is promulgated. We encourage community leaders and the local community to work with government in order to reach an amicable solution concerns.