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This transcript is a translation from the unique interview, which was carried out in Afrikaans and aired on RSG Geldsake, right here.
RYK VAN NIEKERK: In October final yr I chatted to Johann Ferreira of Intercape, and this was after the Eastern Cape High Court ordered the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula, and the Eastern Cape MEC for transport to attract up a plan of motion and current it to the court docket as to how they’d cease assaults on Intercape buses within the Eastern Cape. This got here within the wake of disgruntled taxi operators attacking Intercape buses nearly day by day, as a result of Intercape’s companies had been significantly cheaper than these of the taxis. Among different issues, they had been taking pictures on the buses and throwing stones at them. Many folks have been injured.
Instead of listening to the court docket and involving himself in drawing up the plan, Fikile Mbalula somewhat opted to use for go away to enchantment towards the court docket order – and that utility was dismissed this week.
Johann Ferreira is as soon as once more on the road. Johann, welcome to the programme. The scenario is sort of weird. The court docket orders the minister to do his work, and he desires to lodge an enchantment. That utility has now been dismissed. But what’s the present scenario on your operations there within the Eastern Cape?
JOHANN FERREIRA: Good afternoon, Ryk and the listeners. On January 15 [2023], this coming Sunday, we’ll resume the suspended companies within the Eastern Cape. That means that we are going to begin serving the 5 cities that we now have been unable to serve for the previous yr. We belief that the police and the MEC for transport within the Eastern Cape, in addition to the National Minister of Transport, will execute the plan they’ve on the desk.
We are involved with the police and they’ve been deployed in these areas and within the cities. We at Intercape have, over and above the assist of the police and the visitors, additionally organized non-public safety to be current when the buses enter the cities and [surrounding] areas. So that’s the scenario. We are additionally in enterprise. We are taking reservations. Should there be any incidents these will probably be placed on report. And if we really feel that the policing is insufficient we’ll instantly flip to the court docket for a extra complete plan to be decided by the court docket and imposed on the police, in addition to on the nationwide minister of transport, along with the MEC for transport within the Eastern Cape.
RYK VAN NIEKERK: Fikile Mbalula wasn’t concerned within the formulation of that plan. The Eastern Cape MEC was…. What was within the plan submitted, what was their answer to this downside?
JOHANN FERREIRA: It’s a regular answer. What the do is that they take normal, let’s say, insurance policies and procedures out of the constitution or, let’s say, policing prescripts, and then publish that as a plan. In different phrases, what they are saying is that visible policing will happen, there will probably be highway blocks, particular emphasis will probably be positioned on the validity of permits, and so forth. It’s very imprecise and additionally very broad. That’s a plan that we as Intercape criticised, and we tabled a really particular plan with particular outcomes. This plan was ignored in its entirety.
So at this level we now have no possibility however to just accept what’s on the desk – which we think about very imprecise and probably insufficient – for the current. We subsequently have put in further non-public safety, over and above the policing – costing us hundreds of rands every single day – to see what is going to finally occur.
RYK VAN NIEKERK: This scenario can be enjoying out in different industries, comparable to within the mining and development sectors. There are mining and development mafias, the prices for which massively inflates the price of doing enterprise in South Africa.
I assume you might have liaised with different industries experiencing comparable situations, the place the police and the accountable departments are doing completely nothing to place issues proper. Have there been such discussions?
JOHANN FERREIRA: No, thus far there haven’t been such discussions. But I can let you know that from the second we began taking motion – taking a stand for what is true and refusing to undergo bribery and hooliganism and the like – I’ve seen by way of all of it that the police are powerless. Many of them are within the pockets of the taxis, particularly within the Eastern Cape. I recognise that the minister of transport, the minister of police and the state president don’t wish to do something as a result of on the finish of the day … I feel it’s time that South Africa and the general public see issues for what they’re.
Ultimately it’s the taxis calling the tune for presidency. In different phrases, the tail is wagging the canine.
We can speculate about this, and we will chat about it, however I’m telling you it’s a truth.
Here we now have a proverbial instance the place a minister merely refused to offer consideration to misery calls and warnings in not one, not two, however a number of attorneys’ letters, social media and newspapers.
I warned them, ‘You’ll have blood in your arms, folks will probably be murdered’. People have been murdered, folks injured. The minister however determined it was not his job; the Road transport Act doesn’t state that he and the MEC should take motion.
That is the feeblest kind of argument, and that’s what they delivered to court docket.
So midway by way of the proceedings of the three court docket instances his authorized crew gave up; he obtained a brand new authorized crew.
When we submitted a Section 18 utility to oblige the minister to assist the MEC’s plan of motion, the minister abruptly rolled over to say, okay, okay, I used to be unsuitable, I’ll assist it, however I’m not speculated to work with the MEC, and I’ll take that on enchantment.
It is in fact South African public cash being squandered on mindless, absurd court docket instances.
Fikile [Mbalula] is the minister lately promoted by the state president, now appointed ANC secretary-general. Just this previous weekend he stood up and declared that robust motion can be taken towards ministers not doing their work.
He is one whom the court docket on three events ordered to do his job, and the one who has now, I’d say, been discovered responsible of not doing his job. He will not be even getting go away to enchantment as a result of his case is just too weak.
So I actually assume that the South African public and the enterprise sector ought to see issues for what they’re. We have extraordinarily weak management in … and we must actually maintain [President] Ramaphosa accountable for this example as a result of he makes poor selections, completely poor selections.
RYK VAN NIEKERK: But is that this incompetence or – may I say – corruption concerned?
JOHANN FERREIRA: I feel corruption is concerned, and thus incompetence. I don’t assume it’s an both/or. I feel it’s a mixture of plenty of issues. I feel on the finish of the day the play on phrases there, when a employed car or a taxi is concerned, it’s ‘a taxi and occupants’, by no means naming an individual, by no means giving an handle. And so it goes, on and on. If a bus or an plane causes an accident involving folks it’s a serious occasion. I feel South Africa has change into so desensitised – if I could use that phrase – that it’s ‘just another person who died’.
What I discover unusual is that, ought to a high-profile particular person be attacked or have his life threatened, everybody jumps up and down. But when a bus driver is shot, cold-bloodedly murdered – and there are nonetheless these assaults the place a person was shot by way of the windscreen, 5 metres away in full daylight – then that’s not an assassination, it’s ‘violence’. It’s not violence, it’s terrorism. If an plane is shot whereas ascending, what would we think about that? Would we additionally name it ‘violence’? No, it’s not violence, it’s terrorism. So we have to see it for what it’s.
I simply assume [President] Ramaphosa has utterly overplayed his hand in appointing these poor ministers, [Bheki] Cele being one, whom we at the moment are additionally going to sue, along with the National Prosecuting Authority, as a result of they do nothing. More than 150 instances have been placed on maintain. There has been one arrest, and that particular person is out on bail. Why? Because the proof submitted is ‘too weak’, so there actually isn’t any case.
What’s the underside line of all this? It’s that the police are usually not dong their job. They can not do their job as a result of they’re both incompetent or their arms are tied. Neither do they cooperate.
I wish to conclude by saying that authorities is meant to include departments that cooperate. That’s what ‘cooperative government’ is. So whereas he doesn’t perceive the elemental ideas of how he ought to handle his divisions, his ministry – as a result of cooperative administration means working collectively – he [Mbalula] won’t cooperate with the MEC as a result of, based on him that’s not within the act, not within the Constitution. That’s how the ANC determined to rule the nation, And now he’s the pinnacle of the ANC.
I’m telling you that our nation has extra issues that we wish to consider or acknowledge, as a result of every part is labelled ‘race’, which has nothing to do with competence.
RYK VAN NIEKERK: Johann, we’ll have to depart it there. Thank you on your time tonight. I’m positive we’ll chat once more. That was Johann Ferreira from Intercape.
Aside to Sasfin Wealth head of recommendation Johan Gouws:
RYK VAN NIEKERK: From one Johann to a different Johan [here from Sasfin Wealth], these are robust phrases, however I feel it’s time that somebody stands up and says, pay attention, that is the situation enjoying out. I actually consider it’s not simply on this trade, however in in each trade, and particularly within the mining and development industries.
JOHAN GOUWS: That’s true, Ryk. We ought to all be optimistic, however you could be optimistic solely to some extent, and then you must face actuality. I feel it’s good that we now have folks comparable to Johann [Ferreira] who can clearly level this stuff out. These are issues we will now not ignore.
