The City of Cape Town has expressed disappointment over President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that the National Rail Masterplan will not be finalized until the end of 2025, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa stated that efforts are underway to create a comprehensive National Rail Masterplan that will shape the future of rail transport in South Africa. He emphasised the importance of rail as a vital transportation backbone and noted significant progress in restoring urban passenger rail services.
‘Currently, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has reinstated 31 out of 40 priority rail corridors. By March, public train usage had surged to 40 million passengers, nearly triple the previous year,’ he said. The Masterplan aims to address both urban passenger rail and high-speed connections between major cities, with completion expected by the end of next year.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed skepticism regarding the timeline, citing previous missed deadlines. The City has long advocated for the urgent transfer of rail management to local authorities to operate passenger trains more effectively.
Cape Town officials have proposed a joint working committee with Ramaphosa to expedite rail devolution but have yet to receive a response, despite the president’s prior commitment. Hill-Lewis warned that failure to devolve rail could lead to intergovernmental disputes, although the city prefers collaborative solutions.
Hill-Lewis was set to discuss these concerns with Transport Minister Barbara Creecy during a meeting in Cape Town. According to the city’s Rail Feasibility Study, a functioning passenger rail service could save lower-income families in Cape Town R932 million annually and sustain 51 000 jobs in the area.
Hill-Lewis criticised the ongoing delays, noting that the cabinet’s 2022 National Rail Policy White Paper had promised a Devolution Strategy by 2023, and the president recently assured Parliament that this strategy would be finalised by 2024. He expressed concern that the new deadline of 2025 for the Masterplan indicates a lack of urgency.
Rob Quintas, the City’s member of the mayoral committee for urban mobility, emphasised the need for immediate action from the national government to devolve rail services to the city, highlighting the potential for economic growth and improved public transport for lower-income families.
In August, Quintas remarked that the national transport department was stalling the devolution process, noting that a steering committee created to discuss rail devolution had met only once.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, defended the timeline, explaining that the National Rail Masterplan is a comprehensive initiative that requires extensive consultation and a sustainable funding model to address the needs of all stakeholders, including those in non-urban areas.
Mandla Majola, organising coordinator for commuter activist group #UnitedBehind, echoed concerns about the delays and the lack of clarity regarding how the Masterplan will align with the forthcoming National Devolution Strategy, which is expected to outline the devolution timeline for commuter rail services. He pointed out that there has been no draft strategy or public participation processes announced to date.
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Picture: Steve Kretzmann / GroundUp
