Radebe vows to fast-track Dube Trade Port

Land issue will be resolved in three months KEVIN MAYHEW UNCERTAINTY OVER ownership of the land for the proposed King Shaka International Airport at La Mercy north of Durban will be resolved in the next three months so that private sector procurement for the project can commence, Minister of Transport Jeff Radebe told parliament last week. This, together with other elements of the Dube Trade Port designed to create a multi-modal logistics platform at Durban’s port, are to be fast-tracked to conclusion, Radebe said in his Department of Transport Budget Vote 2004. “We will have to pull out all the stops if we are to meet the 2009 target for the new airport and trade port to be operational and ready for business, but I am confident we can do it,” he said. He added that globally projects like the R1,6bn Dube Trade Port and La Mercy airport were the model used by countries wishing to increase the competitiveness of their economies by reducing trade transaction costs and actively participating in global supply chains. On the issue of ports, Radebe conceded they needed reorganisation, saying it was therefore important that Parliament finalised its consideration of the National Ports Authority Bill “as soon as possible”. Referring to the question From page 1 of road, rail and any other infrastructural installations, Radebe said the Government had to consider other social imperatives which could be driven by their installation, such as employment using labour-intensive methods. “There are local and overseas precedents which indicate that labour-based options in certain road laying categories are financially advantageous and create two to five times as many employment opportunities as mechanical alternatives,” he explained. Finally, he said an overhaul of the Department of Transport was to be undertaken. It lacked critical senior staff in key areas. “We aim to produce a more streamlined and focused department, paying attention to transport issues in a strategic manner that allows for a core focus on key issues,” he concluded.