Rail infrastructure that is in a broken state because of theft and vandalism. Project management and engineering capacity that have eroded over the years. A Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) that is known for its perennial underspending on infrastructure. Old and dilapidated transport infrastructure and declining investment.
These are some of the immediate challenges new transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga will have to contend with in her new role.
One of the pressing issues for Chikunga will be to try to get Prasa to deliver on its mandate.
The railway entity is facing a serious cash-flow challenge because of the erosion of its revenue streams.
These include fares collected from rail operations that have fallen significantly due to the non-availability of many products. In addition, Prasa has lost rental income around its stations because of the lack of train operations.
Simply put, Prasa’s cost structure cannot be sustained as the business is simply pushing itself deeper and deeper into debt that it cannot pay. Its leadership has publicly acknowledged this.
To address these issues, the company needs to clearly articulate what its future looks like and how it will run trains within its budget.
These funds are expected to be used for the renovation of coaches and rolling stock as part of a fleet-renewal programme, as well as for signalling and other capital projects focused on the security of the rail infrastructure.
Chikunga will be wise to keep a close eye on how Prasa spends taxpayer money.
The passenger rail agency has had seven group CEOs in the past seven years, a turnover which points to instability at a strategic level.
Chikunga has been a legislator since 2004 and has had two stints at the transport department. She was appointed deputy minister of transport after the 2014 general election.
She served as deputy minister of public service and administration from May 2019 to August 2021, when she was appointed to her most recent role as Fikile Mbalula’s deputy.
Her appointment as transport minister is her first full ministerial role and earns her a place on the national executive.
She holds several academic qualifications at bachelors and masters level from SA universities and a diploma in nursing science and one in midwifery.
Another key area Chikunga will have to focus on is the stalled taxi recapitalisation programme. This programme has not been achieving its intended outcome since inception due to low uptake by the industry.
Her negotiation skills will be put to the test when she tries to convince the often belligerent minibus taxi industry to play ball.
The state of SA’s roads has been a concern for a number of years and Chikunga has herself felt the pain of unsafe roads, losing her eldest son, his wife and their four children in a motor accident near Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal in July last year.
Her comments in the department’s annual plan for 2022/2023 give a glimpse on what leadership the department can expect.
“Increasing our capacity in the different sections in our department and stakeholders has become imperative to the successful implementation of our mandate to deliver transport services to our people ... We will not tolerate mediocrity and a sluggish implementation of policies and interventions that have been put forward to enable an efficient and working transport sector in the country,” she said.
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