Transport Minister Dipuo Peters says government intends to find a solution to the Harrismith Hub and N3 De Beers Pass developments.

“I am here to assure you that government through the SIP2 Task Team will find a win–win solution to the Harrismith Hub and N3 De Beers Pass developments,” she said.

She was speaking to community members at the Harrismith town hall on Friday as part of government’s imbizo focus week.

The Free State provincial government, through its Provincial Growth and Development Strategy, identified the Harrismith Logistics Hub as a key driver for economic growth in the province.

The Harrismith Hub has become part of a key nodal point of the national key corridors (Durban–Free State–Gauteng Corridor) identified in the 2005 National Freight Logistics Strategy approved by Cabinet.

In 2006, the hub was listed as a government priority through the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA).

In July 2007, a resolution was taken to put a portion of land in Hardustria under moratorium and reserved it for the development of the hub.

The land is adjacent to the N3 (the Durban–Free State–Gauteng Logistics and Industrial corridor) with the moratorium still standing to date.

With the launch of SIP2 in July 2012, through the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC), the Harrismith Logistics Hub became clearer on the radar screen of the national agenda of government, and the intervention on the N3 bypass and the solution thereof became a mandate of the Durban–Free State–Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor.

The SIP2 objectives, amongst others are to strengthen the logistics and transport corridor between South Africa's main industrial hubs, improve access to Durban’s export and import facilities and to raise efficiency along the corridor among others.

Hub part of national infrastructure strategy

The Minister said that Harrismith Hub forms part of the 17 SIP2 projects and needs to be delivered as such.

“On the other side, the N3 De Beers Pass through the current Ministerial Agreement, the N3 De Beers Pass construction must be implemented in 2015, with Harrismith Hub also being part of the agreement. This therefore means that, as the Minister of Transport, I must deliver on both projects,” said Peters.

She said that a business case for SIP2 has been developed and approved by the Steering Committee which includes Harrismith Hub.

The Hub and Tsiame Development – an Industrial Park led by the Department of Trade and Industry – now forms part of the Maluti-A-Phofung Special Economic Zone and an alignment of the two processes is under way.

“The current feasibility study for the Harrismith Hub, which is a public–private sector participation process of the National Treasury is under way, with transaction advisers having been appointed, is expected to be completed in June 2015.”

“Through the SIP2 (Durban–Free State–Gauteng Logistics and Industrial Corridor) a resolution was taken that a task team be appointed to deal with this long outstanding N3 De Beers Pass and Harrismith Hub matter and an alignment towards a win–win solution be found and reported back by June/July 2015. This Task Team process has already started,” explained the Minister.

On the Tsiame development, the feasibility studies for the vehicle distribution centre and the food processing plan is being reviewed and the procurement process for the perimeter fence has been finalised.

“As government we note and have taken due considerations in addressing the challenges as you express them here today; particularly issues relating to the provincial perception that N3 De Beer Pass will adversely impact on the current socioeconomic conditions of the Harrismith Town and the broader Maluti-a-Phofung precinct."