The development of reliable road infrastructure is key to the success of Africa. This is the overwhelming view of delegates to the U20 Summit and African Mayors Assembly held in Pretoria this week.
The meeting which was attended by some 96 mayors, 30 of them from major cities across the continent and 66 from G20 member countries and discussed a host of issues including economic development, the impact of climate change and global trade imbalances among others with specific focus on the aspirations of the African continent which many describe as a “sleeping giant”.
Only 25 percent of Africa’s road network measuring 750,000 is tarred and 30 percent of those are in South Africa, placing the country as potential anchor of intra-continental trade and development.
The event gave the co-hosting metros of Tshwane and Joburg to demonstrate their infrastructure also as part of overall efforts to attract investment to South Africa.
Former Chairperson of the African Union Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma addressed the opening session and warned delegates that the development of key infrastructure was an urgent necessity.
She said even the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA)’s success is largely dependent on the smooth movement of goods and person across the continent.
“It also must be about proper infrastructure, transport infrastructure, whether it’s railroads, ports, airports, and everything must work, including traffic lights. The infrastructure must also connect our cities, not only within the artificial borders, but continent-wide. The infrastructure must connect all of us. I should be able to think, oh, let me drive to Senegal, or let me take a train to Addis. That must be the infrastructure that we built that connects all of us,” said Dlamini-Zuma.
Tshwane SA proud. The City of Tshwane took the opportunity to demonstrate its beauty, infrastructure and other capabilities crucial for sustainable investment. Mayor Nasiphi Moya and her executive committed the capital to working with sister cities across the continent and had organised tours to important land marks in and around Pretoria which many delegates praised as world class.
Since taking over the City of Tshwane in October last year, the ANC-led coalition has set out to stabilise to the municipality’s finances of eventually embarking on a massive rollout of infrastructure.
In the intervening period the city has embarked on an aggressive service delivery programme that includes cleaning the streets, a war on potholes which has endeared them with the public which has been following curiously as updates are posted in real time.
Repairing of roads is central to this service delivery programme and Mayoral Committee Member responsible for roads and transport Tlangi Mogale is constantly on the ground as her teams patch potholes in the CBD, suburbs and surrounding townships.
“We were back on site with our team of engineers this morning and we are pleased with the progress being made. This is one of our busiest access roads, we will ensure we complete repairs as quickly as we can,” said Mogale as she inspected a road project.
The MMC said road infrastructure is central to the city’s agenda of inclusive growth.
“We are now engaged in the commission for Inclusive Economic Growth and it is clear that African Cities have got to integrate and build synergies that will expedite economic revitalisation and build capacities for our envisaged economic growths,” said Mogale.
The MMC is also leading efforts to clear traffic in the CBD in order to make movement and trading easy by among others repairing traffic lights, improving visibility of road markings and enforcing by-law compliance including in some of the places historically known for filth and general lawlessness.
“We are clear in our mission to clean Marabastad and turn it into a well run and transformative economic zone, and this we will only achieve if we join hands with the people who have spent years of sweat investing in and building this trading town. Everyone has a role to play including our friends in the taxi industry and we have already started allocating identified land parcels to provide legal parking facilities for them and avoid the perpetual illegal activities in the CBD,” said the MMC.
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