South African Communist Party, 25 March 2014 Message to the 4th SANTACO Elective Conference Cde Charles Setsubi, Central Committee Member The SACP is the first political formation in South Africa post-1994 if not among the first to call for transformation in the public transport industry. This came from a clearer understanding of what it meant to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society in which there is a better life for all, as opposed to the history of separate development based on white supremacist social engineering, colonial and apartheid spatial planning. As we all know, colonial and apartheid spatial planning pushed Africans in particular and black people in general into the periphery, while whites were located at the centre in every city and town. Townships formed a layer between the centre and the periphery, and thus, constituted a semi-peripheral buffer. Both the periphery and the semi-periphery acted as the reserves for black labour, cheaply exploited in industry, mining, retail and other sectors, as well as domestic workers too. In the farming and agricultural sector, the state of transport was the worst for the workers. In every city and town - i.e. at the centre, infrastructural development was almost everywhere advanced, but only sufficient for a minority. The masses of the workers who commuted daily to and from home and work - i.e. between townships, peri-urban areas and in some instances even rural areas on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and other bases on the one hand, and on the other hand the centre, were subjected to forms of transport that were not supported in any particular way at least in the extreme. Infrastructure in the townships, peri-urban and rural areas where these workers came from was either undeveloped and therefore in the one extreme did not exist, otherwise it was under-developed. Transport vehicles used on roads in these areas did not last to see a full life cycle because of the ugly state of road conditions. Breakdowns often occurred, leading to owners incurring costs and caused late coming on the part of workers at work, leading to problems of dismissals. The Metrorail infrastructure that existed mainly between townships and the centres to facilitate mobility in relation to exploitation was in the extreme neglected, otherwise it was not serviced properly. It was therefore not safe. Neither was it reliable. In addition, different modes of mass transit transport - i.e. trains, buses and taxis were not integrated. In general, the colonial and apartheid spatial planning made transport costly for workers, generally blacks and particularly Africans who were forced to live far away from work. Post-1994 a new phenomenon emerged. As part of the fruits for democracy income conditions changed among the historically and previously disadvantaged groups. A new middle class was created based on transformation, first through the newly created state institutions and the public sector in general, but as well as on the basis of the changes that brought about new labour legislation that abolished discrimination against black people in general, women and people with disabilities. An increased number of black people, women and people with disabilities who formed part of the new middle class or the workers who became relatively better off than during apartheid were now in a position to buy cars - some new and others used cars. As progress advanced in this front, the infrastructure that was created for a few was unable to cope. Traffic congestions became a new problem. It was against this briefly outlined background that the SACP adopted a Public Transport Campaign. This campaign was also intensified through our annual Red October Campaign. The Party called for accessible, reliable, affordable, safe and integrated public transport system. It was envisaged that taxis would play a part of the important role in this system mainly but not exclusively on short distances and therefore also on long distances where this was to be viable. The principle of integration is not limited to road and rail modes of transport - i.e. buses, taxis and trains. It encompasses integration between roads, rail and air transport, but marine transport as well. In this regard the SACP noted SANTACO's efforts to go on air. It would be interesting to see where project such as this get to, especially for the workers and the poor. For a long range visionary point of view, there is also no reason in principle why we must not think about the marine sector. The Party's Public Transport Campaign is thus broad. It not only focuses on the need to expand, develop and maintain the roads and rail infrastructures and on the quality and safety of the vehicles used. In addition to the five cardinal-principles of accessible, reliable, affordable, safe and integrated public transport, the campaign incorporates the need to transform human settlement. This comprises of two further principles based on the elimination of colonial and apartheid spatial planning. Firstly, the process of development must eliminate the difference in infrastructure development between urban and rural. This required a thoroughgoing rural development programme. Since 2009, rural development is one of our key priorities as the ANC-led Alliance and for the ANC-led government. Changes are emerging and visible in rural areas for instance in terms of roads, but there is still a lot that needs to be done both quantitatively and qualitatively with reference to where we would like to be. Secondly, human settlement must take into consideration the need for people to live next to where they work. This not only requires changes in human settlement patterns and the pursuit of non-racialism through integrated human settlements. It also requires the state to direct industrial development as well. The map for industrial development must be redrawn by means of directing industrial development to be evenly distributed across the country, taking into account the need to eliminate the difference in economic development between rural and urban. The SACP-led Public Transport Campaign brought together a wide range of role players. For example on 26 September 2006 the Party held a National Consultative Conference on public transport to look into the campaign. The conference was attended by various stakeholders, including the Metrorail, National Commuter Hotline, South African National Taxi Association, Department of Education, South African Bus Operators Association, Top Six and various taxi associations, South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) and youth formations the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) and Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA). The campaign has important if a few milestones in the areas of buses within metropolitan municipalities and investment targets in the Passenger Rail Agency (PRASA) as part of the strategic infrastructure programmes. There have also been contradictory developments leading to new challenges such as the failed taxi recapitalisation programme, the elite-based Gautrain which the SACP believed was less of a priority as compared to Metrorail for instance, and the Gauteng Freeways Improvement Project which brought about the challenges of e-tolling in terms of which taxis for example are supposed to be exempted. In all these areas there is still a lot that needs to be agreed to and done, including the issues of tax and subsidy for the taxi industry. The SACP is interested in your proposals on the structure and mechanisms relating to these issues in the taxi industry. We are also looking forward to the outcome of your discussions regarding private monopoly on our roads as reflected in the bus industry for instance. Our basic perspective as the SACP on all monopoly industry is accommodated in the Freedom Charter. We will definitely look at what comes out of your conference in this regard. We are generally also looking forward to better and viable solutions from your conference. We hope the outcome of your conference will not only be about your industry as taxis but will be broadly about public transport including the achievement of decent work for the workers - i.e. the drivers. On 7 May our democracy will be holding its 5th national and provincial elections. We are looking forward to your patriotic solidarity in transporting voters to their respective voting stations and in casting your votes. As the Party we have a vested interest in the success of your conference. We wish you well in your deliberations. Released by SACP Media and Communications Department -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. 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