LONG distance coach company, Intercape, and the Automobile Association have urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint a “competent” and “strong” candidate to head the transport portfolio.
Both organisations made the call this week as Ramaphosa comes under pressure to announce his Cabinet reshuffle.
Newly-elected ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, who is Minister of Transport, is among Cabinet ministers who are not expected to return.
The AA called on Mbalula’s successor to prioritise challenges facing the sector, including the country’s “crumbling road infrastructure”, Gauteng’s e-tolls saga, resolving issues within the Public Rail Agency and improving road safety by doubling the number of traffic officers on the roads and other measures.
Intercape’s call came after the Makhanda High Court dismissed with costs an application for leave to appeal by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on January 10.
Mbalula sought to appeal against an earlier judgment by the same court which compelled him and the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport Xolile Nqatha to take positive steps to ensure reasonable and effective measures were in place to provide for the safety and security of long-distance bus drivers and passengers in the province.
Judge John Smith found that both Mbalula and Nqatha had an obligation to do so.
In addition, Mbalula, Nqatha and the SAPS were ordered to devise an action plan.
Intercape faced a reign of terror with attacks on its operators and buses, resulting in the death of driver Bangikhaya Machana last April.
Several other drivers were also shot at and critically wounded in separate attacks last year.
In the latest ruling, Judge Smith noted Mbalula's alleged resistance to co-operating with the provincial authorities.
Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira said Mbalula "wasted time and valuable state resources", including legal costs now running into millions of rand.
“All this legal action and associated costs would have been totally unnecessary, if only Minister Mbalula had done his job,” Ferreira said.
Mbalula’s spokesperson, Lwazi Khoza, said the minister and his legal team were still "studying" the contents of the judgment and would release a statement in due course.
Ferreira expressed the hope that a new transport minister would be appointed to bring order and stability back to the sector.
Ferreira also warned of possible legal action against Police Minister Bheki Cele as the police had also "failed to fulfil their function".
To date, none of the nearly 150 cases opened with the SAPS in the Eastern Cape had resulted in an arrest, said Ferreira.
“We are going to hold the minister of police to account for this unforgivable failure to uphold law and order which enabled anarchy to take hold.”
Intercape would now resume operations in the previous "no-go-areas" in the Eastern Cape, including Tsomo, Cofimvaba, Butterworth, Engcobo and iDutywa, he added.
Weekend Argus.