Transport minister inheriting a legacy of ‘incompetence and not drawing the line carefully’

Plenty of hard work and zero empty promises are expected from Sindisiwe Lydia Chikunga with her appointment as the new minister of transport.

Chikunga was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa during a Cabinet reshuffle on Monday night. She takes over from Fikile Mbalula, who had to vacate his office due to his election as ANC secretary-general.

Chikunga had been deputy minister for transport between June 2012 and May 2019 and again from August 2021. She was also deputy minister of public service and administration between 30 April 2019 and 5 August 2021.

Qualifications

From the ’80s to date, she held and served in various positions of leadership in ANC structures. According to the transport department, Chikunga holds a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Pretoria, a BA honours from Unisa, a diploma in midwifery and a nursing science diploma from Edendale Nursing College. Chikunga is currently studying towards a master’s degree in political science.

Road Freight Association (RFA) CEO Gavin Kelly said while the organisation congratulated Chikunga on her appointment as minister, it was important to note the portfolio certainly ensured robust debate between the stakeholders and role players – and the ensuing events in the road freight industry were no different.

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Kelly said the RFA was ready to assist the department in bringing about the necessary fundamental change in the freight industry – and sharing expertise in other aspects of transport.

He touched on aspects which required improvement, such as the public transport systems (passenger services), ports (harbours) and ports of entry (borders), rail (infrastructure, operations), road management and administration and lawlessness on the country’s roads that needed to be dealt with.

‘We need a trusted minister’

Political analyst Goodenough Mashego said he did not think Chikunga would be able to achieve what Mbalula failed to do.

According to Mashego, the last proper minister of transport was Mac Maharaj. Maharaj occupied the position from 1994 to 1999 under former president Nelson Mandela.

“And I say proper minister because Maharaj, unknown to many people, would literally take a taxi ride and cover the distance from Joburg to Alexandra – and another one from Soweto to the Vaal,” he said.

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“He used to do that because he wanted to be familiar with what transport means. Transport, for him, went beyond the blue light and the security details that most ministers enjoy.”

Mashego said what differentiated Maharaj from all the other ministers who came later, such as Jeff Radebe, Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande and Mbalula – and now also Chikunga – was that they were ministers who travelled in the fast lane. He said most of them ran with agendas which were more on populist projects.

“These are not ministers who understood what happens in the slow lane; what happened on rail or somewhere else,” he said. “With them saying they want to fix all the potholes and everything else, Chikunga is simply inheriting that legacy: a legacy of incompetence and not drawing the line carefully.”

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Mashego said the minister needed to come in – and not up – with projects on the roads for the purpose of populism.

“We need a trusted minister. As long as she’s coming as a minister like the others, I don’t think any success is going to be achieved.”

Chikunga and her deputy minister, Lisa Mangcu, were expected to hit the ground running in trying to get public transport, such as trains, buses and taxis, running efficiently. Mashego said it was best she got one deputy as the country did not need many deputy ministers.

“In any department, you have people who are heading them, but our deputy ministers don’t have executive power, so Chikunga will be swamped with work either way because those deputy ministers can’t make decisions,” he said.

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Mashego added that Chikunga would have to bring clarity into who owned what in terms of roads and also technology.

“Road projects and transport projects need to be done properly and corruption must be fought as well,” he said.

‘Nothing different will happen’

All Truck Drivers Forum (ATDF) general secretary Sifiso Nyathi said the organisation had no hope the new minister would bring any sort of different and effective change.

Nyathi said Chikunga worked with Mbalula and was aware of the issues raised for years and there had not been any change.

“From complaints raised during Ndzimande’s time to Mbalula and now her, we do not think anything different will happen.

“They have introduced task teams, recommendations but nothing has changed. We are still struggling and more issues and accidents will continue to happen,” Nyathi said.

“It will just be more empty promises.”

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Chikunga’s role as MP

As MP Sindisiwe Chikunga has served on:

• The correctional services portfolio committee;
• Joint budget portfolio committee;
• Housing portfolio committee;
• Auditor-general and joint standing committee on Defence; and
• Chair of the portfolio committee on police.

– lungas@citizen.co.za