Cape Town wants rail devolution but Government won’t budge
President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Parliament that rail service devolution is on track, however the City of Cape Town disagrees.
In it’s pursuit of rail devolution, the City gave the President a 31 August deadline for the creation of a joint working committee, failing which it would declare an intergovernmental dispute against the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
This week the President assured Parliament that the agreed timeframes for the devolution of rail to capable metros was being adhered to, but the City is going ahead with the dispute.
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Rail devolution involves transferring responsibility for rail services from the central government to local authorities, allowing them to manage fares, schedules and service quality.
During a recent parliamentary session, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen asked President Ramaphosa to support and expedite rail devolution, emphasising its urgency due to recent taxi strikes and the cost of living crisis in Cape Town.
Ramaphosa claimed that the Department of Transport had engaged in consultations with various stakeholders, and the White Paper on National Rail Policy had been approved in March 2022, outlining implementation priorities and timelines for rail devolution.
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“A National Steering Committee has been established to guide all major deliverables of the project. The Department of Transport is confident that it is on course to deliver on the 2024 timeframe approved by Cabinet in the White Paper on National Rail Policy,” Ramaphosa told Parliament.
However, Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga had rejected Cape Town’s request for rail devolution in May, stating that Prasa was still building railway services in the Western Cape.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed disappointment over the lack of progress and claimed that the City had not received adequate responses from the government regarding devolution.
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He announced the City’s intention to declare an intergovernmental dispute, involving lawyers in the process. Hill-Lewis stressed the need for a functional rail system, especially in light of rising fuel costs.
Currently only 2% of commuters in Cape Town use the rail network regularly. The city’s Rail Feasibility Study indicates that a functional rail system could create over 51,000 jobs and contribute R11 billion annually to the local economy.
Therefore, Cape Town is pursuing a legal mediation process under the Intergovernmental Framework Relations Act to address the issue.
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WHY DO GOVERNMENTS CHOOS RAIL DEVOLUTION?
One reason for devolution is to improve accountability to local communities. When local authorities are responsible for rail services, they are more likely to be responsive to the needs of local people.
Another reason for devolution is to improve efficiency. Local authorities may be able to operate rail services more efficiently than central government, because they have a better understanding of the local needs and conditions.