NEPAD : the transport challenges

Abstract

Paper presented at the 22nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 14 - 16 July 2003 "National issues affecting the movement of people and goods - strategic approaches", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. ABSTRACT: The objective of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is to give impetus to Africa’s development by bridging existing gaps in priority sectors in order to enable the continent to catch up with developed parts of the world, to eradicate poverty in Africa and to place African countries on a path of sustainable growth and development and thus halt the marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation process. The achievement of NEPAD’s political, security, economic, social, and environmental goals are dependent on certain enablers, one of these being the transport of people and goods. The National Department of Transport sees the essential role of transport in NEPAD as being that of an opportunity catalyst. The paper looks at the current state of transport in Africa, current involvement by South African transport organisations in Africa, identifies transport-related issues constraining development, summarises actions to meet some of these challenges, and identifies the need for a focused transport sector strategy in support of NEPAD.