5

THE ROLE OF RURAL ROAD TRANSPORT

FORUMS IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
UPLIFTMENT WITHIN KWAZULU-NATAL

5.1 Introduction n "Key Indicators of Poverty in South Africa" the RDP

I authors draw attention to South Africa having a 'gini-

coefficient' of 0,61. This coefficient measures relative
inequalitieswithin countries and South Africa's rating makes
it the second worst performer in the World. In South Africa
the poorest40% of households(53% of population) consume
lessthan 10% of total consumptionwhile the richest 5.8% of
households consume more than 40% of total consumption.

The gini-coefficientas well as consumptionpatterns highlight

the fact that a small percentage of South Africans are well
placedto participate in decision making and to benefit from
economicgrowth and opportunity.The vast majority of South
Africans, mainly rural people, encounter serious barriers to
participationin programmeswhich could result in their social
and economic upliftment. Within KwaZulu-Natal significant
barriers to entry and improving productivity are reflected in
the very low human development index measurements for
rural populations.For some Magisterial Districts the Human
Development Index (HDI)is one third of our national index.

Numerousstudies concerning the historical development of

the KwaZulu-Natal region draw attention to the growth of
urban industrial capital and the commercial farming sector,
beingcoupledwith the significantdecline in the well being of
rural black populations. Separate tax systems have been
applied in the past to urban and rural dwellers, and for
example rural black populations paid hut and crown tax
irrespective of any means test. Successive governments
have been committed to spending public monies with an
urban industrial and white "farmer bias which has left rural
populations both impoverished and relatively isolated from
development enabling infrastructure. (1,2,31 This in turn
resulted in high levels of labour migration, long distance

- 5.1 -
 commuting, the erosion of family life and values, social
anomie and violence.

5.2 Rural Road

Transport Forums
T he Department of Transport is now committed to a
programme of roads for rural development which is
designed to end the physical, social and economic
isolation of rural populations. The Department of
"The Department of Transport's
Transport's programme for the construction of rural
programme for the construction of
roads recognises that there are no inclusive
rural roads recognises that there are
no inclusive representative structures representative structures and organisational capacity in

and organisational capacity in rural rural areas through which it could effectively channel its
areas through which it could effectively commitment. The Department has therefore begun to
channel its commitment. " establish Rural Road Transport Forums. Such Forums are
founded in civil society and are governed by the following
terms of reference:

5.2.1 Establishment of RRTF's 1. The Minister may divide the Province into as many
areas which shall exclude the areas administered by
local and metropolitan councils as he may deem
expedient and .establishfor each such area a forum to
be known as the Rural Road Transport Forum
consistingof such number of members as is hereinafter
provided for.

2. The duty of every Rural Road TransportForum shall be

to advise the Minister upon matters relating to:
a. i) the declaration and closing of District roads
and;
ii) registration of Local Roads in the area for
which it was appointed;
. b. to identify, prioritise and advise the Minister on
needs in respect of Local Roads to serve rural
communitieswhichwill promote local economic and
social development in the short and long term;
c. to identify and fund technical and capacity building
training programmes;
d. to elect a representative to the Provincial Rural
Road Transport Forum;
e. to prepare and manage budgets, authorise

- 5.2-
 payments, and receive, administer and allocate
funds forthe constructionand maintenance of Local
Roads withintheir jurisdiction, for which they shall
be accountable to their constituents and the
Secretary for Transport for financial reporting and
operations,

and any such other matters as may be referred to it by

the Ministeror Secretary for Transport.

5.2.2 Functions of District 3. The provisionof Districtroads and Local Roads willbe
Roads and Local Roads used to improve access to much needed services and
to develop the rural economy by paying attention to:

a. job creationthroughthe LocalRoad building process

which combines mechanical and labour intensive
methods;

b. development multipliers that allow for sustainable

economic growth and the creation of new income
generating opportunities for local people;

c. preference shall be given to emergent contractors

for the construction and maintenance of Local
Roads.

5.2.3 Composition and 4. The Rural Road Transport Forums shall be founded in
Functions of RRTF's ruralcivilsociety (a-party political),and shall comprise
a maximum of 20 representatives of the following
groups and organisations which should be
geographically representative of the area, as indicated
Table 5.1 oveneaf.

5. RuralRoad TransportForumsshould empower ordinary

citizens to take decisions in transport related matters
which influence their communities.

6. Each Rural Road Transport Forum shall elect from its

members an Executive Committee of not more than

-5.3 -
 seven members who shall exercise the authority and

perform the duties entrusted to or imposed

upon the Rural Road Transport Forum by

TABLE 5.1 : COMPOSITION OF RURAL the Act or any regulations made

thereunder.
ROAD TRANSPORT FORUMS

GROUP I NO OF
7. The Regional Engineer of the
ORGANISATION REPRESENTATIVES
Department of Transport or his duly
a. Regional tribal minimum of 1
authorised representative, shall act as
authority
the technical adviserto the Rural Road
b. Business sector minimum of 1
Transport Forum.
c. Taxi industry minimum of 1

d. Public transport minimum of 1 8. Whenever there is in existence in any

e. Farmers associations minimum of 2 I area in and for which a rural Road
max. of 4* Transport Forum has been constituted
f. Organised labour minimum of 1 / a Soil ConservationDistrict Committee
max. of 2 established in terms of Section 10 of

g. Youth minimum of 2 / the Soil Conservation Act, 1946 (act

max. of 3 No. 45 of 1946), the Minister may
h. Women's groups minimum of 2 / appoint a member of such Soil
max. of 3 Conservation Committee as an

i. Professional bodies minimum of 1 additional member of the executive

(e.g. teachers, nurses)

committee.
9. a. The persons appointed to a Forum
j. Other community minimum of 2/

based organisations max. of 3 in terms of subsection (4) shall hold

* of which one member shall be nominated from
office for a period of three years

commercial farmers associations and shall be eligible for

reappointment at the expiration of
any such period.

b. In the event of any vacancy occurring in a Forum

otherwise than in consequence of expiration of a
membersterm of office, the Minister shall appoint a
personto fill such vacancy for the unexpired portion
of the period of office of the member in whose place
such person is appointed.

- 5.4-
5.2.4 RRTF Training To support the work of Rural Road Transport Forums the
Programme Department of Transport is committed to a training"
programme that will build their capacity to:

1. Establish improved communication with the Regional

and Head Offices of the Department of Transport. It is
understood that past histories often require a
development mediation to promote new rules for
effective communication and delivery of services.
Unless this is addressed past histories and mis-
communication do harden into distrust and
recriminations.

2. Hold meetings, keep records and understand budgets

and finances.

3. Deal with technical information necessary to take

decisionsconcerningan appropriatemix between labour
intensive and mechanical methods. To make planning
inputs which maximise their knowledge of local
conditions e.g. availability of skills, underemployment,
unemployment and seasonal employment.

4. Conduct community / social audits to generate a local

database to promote for small business development
and growth.

5. Draw up business plans to establish a two, five and ten

year programme to manage and address road project
needs.

6. Together with the Department of Transport, coordinate

their priorities with neighbouring Transport Forums to
ensure a coherent road network.

Rural Road Transport Forums then are tasked with

prioritisingcommunity access roads within their Districts
and with managing road related matters. As such it is
essential that Forums be representative of all stake

- 5.5-
 holdersaffected by their decision. In a climate of limited
finances they will have to justify their decisions to
desperateneighbourhoodson why their needs have not
yet been prioritised.

K
5.3 Planning of wazulu-Natal has been demarcated into 28 Districts
for the purposeof establishingRural Road Transport
RRTF's according Forums. These boundaries reflect current socio-

to Magisterial political perceptions. There is a commitment within the

Departmentof Transportto work with Rural Road Transport
Districts
Forumsto reduce the number of Forums I Districts as local
perceptions of boundaries change with infra-structural
developments.Thus far Rural Road Transport Forums have
been or are beingestablishedin the Districts shown in Table
5.2.

TABLE 5.2 : RURALROAD In establishing these Forums the Department of Transport

TRANSPORT FORUMS IN recognises the importance of infra-structural development
KWAZULU-NATAL
in restructuring opportunity and effectively moves social
1. Maphumulo analysis and community consultation upstream in project
2. Nkandla
3. Vulamehlo recognition and design. The positive spinoffs to this is
4. Enseleni already evident in the management of Plant Hire contracts
5. Emzumbe
6. Bergville for the rapid construction of Local Roads.
7. Madadeni
8. Nquthu
9. Hlanganani Thus quality technical assistance (added value) is being
10. Simdlangentsha provided to previously neglected populations without
(Pongola)
11. Ubombo /lngwavuma unnecessarily increasing bureaucratic ranks and in such a
12. Ndwedwe way that community decision making and initiative is not
13. Izingolweni
14. undermined. This allows for planning interventions that
Nongoma
15. Eshowe includefor regional variation and project evaluation criteria
16. Ongoye
17. that measure return on investment in terms of clear local
Mahlabathini
18. Estcourt and central planning priority needs.
19. Hlabisa
20. Umbumbulu

A review and summary of progress in the establishment of

Rural Road Transport Forum is presented in Table 5.3
overleaf, together with name and address of the Chairman
where one has been elected.

- 5.6-
5.4 Benefits of Roads
for Rural T he most pressing priority of the Government of
National Unity is to increase its revenue base to allow
it to address the apartheid legacy in a sustainable
Development way. This can only be achieved by enlarging the fiscus
through the creation of new jobs (income tax), business
enterprises (company tax) and increased consumer buying
power (value added tax, VAT). It is clear that the
job creation government will support local economic development
initiatives that attempt to create jobs innovatively. This
strategy takes on added significance against the backdrop
of current job losses sustained through the need to make
tariff protected industry (import substitution) internationally
competitive.

In addressing the serious backlog of need within KwaZulu-

opening up the potential of Natal the Department of Transport is committed to a
previously neglected sub-regions processof opening up the potential of previously neglected
sub-regionsand populations in establishing a coherent road
and transport network that benefits all. This process will
necessitate"unbundling"the road construction, maintenance
and transport industry. Further Rural Road Transport
Forums can be usedto coordinate other enterprises usually
associated with improved road access e.g. garages, filling
stations, bicycle sales and repairs, scotch carts etc.

The Departmentof Transportrecognises that the building of

road networksand their maintenance usually constitute the
rural road construction can be the largestsingle capital investmentmade in rural development.
largest single capital investment made However the absence of a road network usually constrains
in rural development the delivery of all other services. As such local or access
roads have a considerable impact on social, cultural and
economic life of resource poor people. Not only do they
provideaccessto markets, services, employment, business
development, transport and communication, they improve
personal mobility, crisis management, world view and
quality of life.

time saving benefits enhancing Roadsin rural areas contribute significantly to time savings
productivity in giving local communities access to the labour, produce

- 5.7-
 and consumer markets, and social reproductive services
(health, welfare, schools, networking). Given the labour
intensiveconditionof rural life suchtime savings can and do
have a profound effect on productivity and well being (4).

... reduction of social and economic New road developmentsdo diversify the rural economy and
costs
increase agricultural production as well as reduce both
social and economiccosts associatedwith rural life. In some
rural stores even postage stamps are sold at 50% mark-up
over their official value. Traders invariablyjustify such mark-
ups as high vehicle operating costs. While road
improvements could simply result in larger profit margins
appropriate community education through Rural Road
Transport Forums will create a greater awareness of local
exploitation.

Properly managed and maintained rural roads can create

wealth and reduce unemployment levels by achieving a
construction mix between labour intensive and machine
creation of viable local
methods. Costing of roads should include an analysis of
manufacturing industries
trade offs between importing products (high haulage costs)
and producingthem locally (higher production costs flower
haulage costs). This might create the possibility of viable
local manufacturing industries eg paving blocks, kerb
stones,sign posts,quarry products etc. Further should road
construction require water preference should be given to
costing the development of local water systems into the
income and skills leakage from
road ratherthan hauling water from outside the community.
rural areas to the urban industrial
In this way income and skills leakage from rural areas to the
sector can be addressed
urban industrial sector can be addressed. To achieve this it
is essential that roads be built to open up and diversify the
rural economy to meet the career aspirations of young
References people.

1. Bundy C (1979) "The Rise and Fall of the South African Peasantry" Heinemann, London.
2. DermanP J & Poultney C (1984) "The Politics of Production and Community Development in Rural
South Africa" Carnegie Conference Paper No 226, Cape Town.
3. Derman P J & Poultney C (1987) "Agricultural Reconstruction in a Consumer Society. The Mboza
Village Project" Development in Southern Africa Vol 4 No 3.
4. Derman P J & Maasdorp G (1981) "Time Savings in Road Project Appraisal - Evidence from
Swaziland" Economic Research Unit, University of Natal.

- 5.8-
 RURAL ROAD RRTF
REGION TRANSPORT FORUM CHAIRMAN ADDRESS REPRESENTATIVES
(RRTF)
1. Eshowe Nkandla Mr B P Dunge Mdlelanga School, P 0 Box 20, NKANDLA 3855
Enseleni Inkosi R N Cebekhulu P 0 Box 354, EMPANGENI 3880 Regional Tribal
KZN Dept of Eshowe I Inkanyezi Rev M T Khuzwayo PO Box 3355, MANDINI4490 Authorities
Transport Ingwavuma I Ubombo Mr S M Mngomezulu P 0 Box 344, JOZINI 3969
Regional Engineer: Ongoye Mr S S Cele P 0 Box 936, GINGINDLOVU 3800 R Business Sector
Mr Malcolm Barron Hlabisa Mr E S Manqele PO Box 566, MTUBATUBA 3935 E
P
2. Nongom a Vryheid Mr M Mahlangu PO Box 2386, VRYHEID 3100 R Taxi Associations
Pongola I Simdlangentsha Mr Mandla 'Congo' PO Box 1346, PONGOLA 3170 E
Mavuso S
Regional Engineer: Nongoma Mr NE Mthethwa P 0 Box 728, NONGOMA 3950 E Public Transport
Mr Charles Van Wyk Mahlabathini Mr J P Mtshali PO Box 851, MAHLABATHINI 3865 N
T
3. Dundee Nquthu I Dundee Mr S T Buthelezi Private Bag X5511, NQUTHU 3135 A Farmers Associations
Buhlebamakhosi Mr D Ntuli P 0 Box 2667, DANNHAUSER 3080 T
Regional Engineer: Utrecht - -
I
Mr B Taljaard Msinga - - 0 Professional Bodies
I
CII N
U> - -
4. Estcourt Ladysmith/Emnambithi
Mr B C Mabizela 0 Youth
Bergville I Okhahlamba PO Box 490, BERGVILLE 3350
Estcourt I Emtshezi N
Regional Engineer: Mr B V Mhlanga Private Bag X12, LOSKOP 3330
Mr Howard Bennett
E Women
A
5. Pieterm aritzburg Greytown - - C
Mpumalanga Not yet elected H Organised Labour
Vulindlela - -
Regional Engineer: Bulwer I Hlanganani Nkosi R V Zondi Enkumba C P School, Private Bag 506, BULWER 3244 R
East Griqualand I Kokstad Mr Winston Napier PO Box 18, SWARTBERG 4710 R Ordinary Road User
Ixopo Mr S N Mkhize c/o SAPS, P 0 Box 9, IXOPO 3276 T
F
6 I 7. Durban Maphumulo Mr C B Ngiba PO Box 109, MAPHUMULO 4470 Community Based
Ndwedwe Mr J P Ninela P0 Box 387, HILLCREST 3650 Organisations
Umbumbulu Mr N Maphumulo PO Box 30, UMBUMBULU 4105
Vulamehlo I Umzinto Mr S A Mkhize P0 Box 10988, UMZINTO 4200
Regional Engineer: Emzumbe Rev M X Dladla PO Box 2120, PORT SHEPSTONE 4240
Mr Mannie de Souza Izingolweni Mrs J Sikhosana PO Box 11, HARDING 4680

TABLE 5.3 : ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL ROAD TRANSPORT FORUMS IN REGIONS 1 - 7