Transport and the accelerated growth initiative of South Africa : have we mainstreamed?

Abstract

Paper presented at the 26th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 9 - 12 July 2007 "The challenges of implementing policy?", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. ABSTRACT:This paper is concerned with strengthening the relevance, effectiveness, and responsiveness of national transport policy to deliver national demands and targets for accelerated and shared economic growth in South Africa. Its objective is to analyse the linkage and gaps in the White Paper on National Transport Policy of South Africa (1996), and the Accelerated and Shared Economic Growth Initiative of South Africa [ASGISA] (2006). Its focus is on the national transport policy. It found that the national transport policy is well aligned to contemporary thought and practice in transport. It shares and addresses with ASGISA the same Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) national developmental objectives, constraints and interventions. However, it does not mainstream the national growth performance targets and milestones, and poverty reduction, which constitute the basis of ASGISA. It concludes that the policy has gaps or weakness, which stem from not aligning to crucial national strategic growth performance targets and milestones of ASGISA. The paper recommends systemic policy review and mainstreaming of ASGISA’s growth performance targets and milestones.