Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has given a lukewarm response to the City of Cape Town’s plans to take over rail system.
Last month, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced that they’ll conduct feasibility study on the plan to take over the rail function.
He told the council that they are ready to conduct a feasibility study in the new financial year – on 1 July 2022.
Hill-Lewis also announced that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana supports the plan.
In response, Mbalula says he agrees with Godongwana’s sentiments.
But warned that this is not a done deal yet, because he’s the one who must approve it.
Mbalula’s spokesperson Lawrence Venkille says they understand the importance of devolving rail function at municipal level.
“The implementation process will be subject to policy and legal imperatives. It is important to note that the National Land Transport Act of 2009 empowers a Minister of Transport to assign a function to a municipality provided that the municipality has adequate capacity to undertake that function. In the upcoming week, Minister Mbalula will publicly release the White Paper on National Rail Policy, and this matter be addressed in detail”.
