Since President Jacob Zuma’s midnight cabinet reshuffle was announced, several newly appointed ministers have taken to podiums around the country to announce how they plan to improve projects within their current portfolios.

This included transport minister Joe Maswanganyi who addressed media at a briefing last week in Pretoria.

He acknowledged road and public transport infrastructure as the “the backbone of economic development towards the total emancipation of any community”. As a result of this, he promised that the transport department would specialise its programmes towards uplifting all South Africans.

While outlining his immediate programme of action on key transport issues, he singled out better infrastructure that is desperately needed across South Africa, and said it was something “our people yearned for”.

Beside the improvement of current infrastructure and the building of more roads and bridges, another burning issue on South Africa’s roads is the e-Toll scheme.

Maswanganyi said he was fully aware of the concerns about the system and the infrastructure costs associated with it. “We want to assure the nation that we are a government that listens,” he said.

Regarding the transition from former transport minster Dipuo Peters, Maswanganyi said there would be a “seamless transition” and that meetings have already taken place with senior management in his department to ensure this.

Maswanganyi also said that his department will be guided by the National Development Plan 2030. “…we are continuing to build a South Africa that must be free from poverty, inequality and unemployment,” he said.

“The message we want to send out is that we are ready, willing and able to make a difference in the lives of our people,” he added.