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Transport Minister, Honourable Dipuo Peters (MP) will lead a high-level
delegation of senior government officials to Chicago, Illinois in the
United States of America from 30 July to 1 August 2014.

The African Leaders’ Visit: Transport to Chicago, IL, to be attended by
Transport Ministers and high-level delegations from Algeria, Angola,
Ethiopia and Nigeria will be hosted by the United States Trade and
Development Agency and the United States Department of
Transportation.

The Visit presents an opportunity for high-level officials from five of
Africa’s largest economies together with high-level officials from the
United States to engage in exploring how investments in state-of-the
art transportation infrastructure drives economic growth, in particular
with reference to fostering economic growth through investments in rail,
aviation infrastructure and partnerships within the transportation
industry.

The high-level delegations will engage with business executives,
financiers and leaders of the diaspora communities to deliberate on
building transportation infrastructure and investment opportunities.

The participation of the Common Market for Southern and Eastern
Africa (COMESA) will also highlight the significance of regional
solutions to globally competitive logistics networks.

Some of the highlights in Minister Peters’s itinerary during the African
Leaders’ Visit will include a Transportation Roundtable with Secretary
of the US Department of Transportation, Honourable Anthony Foxx, a
Rail Yard Site Visit and Tour, an Investment Opportunities Breakfast, a
Dinner on Transportation in Africa and a Site Visit and Tour at the
Chicago O’Hare Airport.

In September 2011, the Republic of South Africa and the United States

of America signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) which serves

as a framework for structured implementation of sector specific

initiatives.  The Agreement provides for cooperation in Infrastructure

Development (Land, Air & Sea), Training, Skills Development and

capacity building, Technology Transfer, Transport Services, Search

and Rescue, Exchange of expertise, and joint ventures between South

African and American companies.

A meeting of African Union Ministers of Transport held in Algiers, Algeria in April 2008 it was resolved that the African Union must put in place a comprehensive African Civil Aviation Policy. The Policy must address, amongst others, capacity building, aviation safety and security challenges and including issues of aviation and climate change.

In November 2011, at a meeting of African Union Ministers of Transport held in Luanda-Angola, the meeting instructed AFCAC and member states to implement the resolution resulting from aviation safety.  Ministers resolved to urge the USA to continue with the safe skies project for Africa and to extent the project to other African countries as well.

During the African Union Ministers of Transport meeting held in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia in May 2007, it was indicated that with the increasing growth in both air traffic and tourism, countries must continue to work towards the improvement of air traffic management and safety standards.  Ministers agreed to encourage the USA through the USTDA project to continue giving support to Africa’s air transportation and air navigation plans.

In their Ministerial Conference on Aviation Safety held in Abuja, Nigeria in July 2012, the AU Ministers of Transport undertook to accelerate the establishment of, strengthen, and maintain autonomous civil aviation authorities with independent regulatory oversight or delegate their functions to Regional Safety Oversight Organisations (RSOOs) or other African states.

To this process, the USA will provide technical and financial assistance towards the establishment of regional aviation safety organisations in Africa such as the newly created SADC Aviation Safety Organisation (SASO).

COMESA and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in identifying the need to expedite the liberalisation of air transport in Africa, came together to form an organisation called the Joint Competition Authority (JCA).

This coming together by the 3 Regional Economic Communities also echoed the need to have a joint (one) airspace Control Centre (UACC) for airspace optimisation and utilisation.

The USA should be requested and urged to assist in providing technical advice as well as financial assistance.

The Minister’s visit to the United States of America follows, very closely, on 15 and 24 July 2014, the presentation of the Department’s budget for the 2014/15 financial year to Parliament and the National Council of Provinces respectively.

Following this successful presentation, the Minister will establish a National Transport Forum whose task will be to collaborate on and coordinate all key strategic transport planning matters, also providing practical advice to all spheres of government.

In order to unpack the status of infrastructure and harmonization of transport standards in the SADC region, a study was undertaken to examine this position so as to ensure that the transport infrastructure link to South Africa’s neighbouring countries meets acceptable standards.

Minister Peter will establish a multi-modal Transport Advisory panel comprising experts on all modes of transport, researchers, academic institutions and major transport stakeholders.