Transport minister announces changes to community liaison structures

IN a bid to champion community interests in development matters, the KZN Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison on Thursday announced its intention to collapse and consolidate its community liaison structures at the voting district level.

The announcement was made by the department’s MEC, Mxolisi Kaunda at the final consultative meeting with executive leadership and representatives of the transport liaison structures.

The meeting was also attended by industry stakeholders including South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) and KZN Bus Council (KWANABUCO).

The community structures in question are the Rural Roads and Transportation Forum (RRTF), Community Road Safety Councils (CRSF) and the Public Transport and Passengers Association (PTPA).

‘The KZN Department of Transport has worked very well with these community liaison structures, and deeply appreciates the role they have played in advancing the cause of our people’s empowerment and development,’ said Kaunda.

He said that, through these structures, the department has been able to reach out to the communities and better understand infrastructure needs.

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They have also assisted the department in prioritising development projects amid limited budgets and huge backlogs.

Since 2012, the provincial government has been working towards consolidating all community structures across all service delivery fronts.

‘The time has come for us to amalgamate these structures, working to address the development issues of our people, with the people themselves, but holistically at the voting district level,’ said Kaunda.

‘Beyond this, we seek to ensure that the new structures will champion community interests in development matters as part of the ward committee structure.

‘We also expect them to advocate for, and drive the process of communities’ beneficiation through social enterprises, emerging from the government’s Radical Socio-Economic Transformation programme.’