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Johannesburg - A lack of investment in transport infrastructure in previous years is to blame for its poor state, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said on Thursday.
"The African Development Bank today recognises the inadequacy of Africa's infrastructure," said Ndebele in a speech prepared for delivery in Pretoria.
"This is especially in the face of ageing infrastructure, growing urban population, global trading and the expansion of the economy."
He was speaking at a meeting with the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) ministers of transport and meteorology.
Earlier on Thursday, Ndebele and his Sadc delegation visited the Transnet rail site in Koedoespoort, Pretoria.
This was to re-examine the readiness of South Africa's logistics platform to play its proper role in the regional economy.
Ndebele expressed concern over Africa's road access rate which was only 34% compared with 50% in other geographical zones.
"Roads remain the dominant mode of transportation, accounting for more than 90% of passenger and freight transport in Africa, compared with around 50% of freight in Europe."
He said work needed to be done as Africa's rail network barely covered the continent and had "low interconnectivity".
African maritime ports and inland waterways were not being exploited for travel. Continental transport costs remained the highest in the world.
"A better interconnected Africa - internally and with the rest of the world - is much better than an Africa that is not connected with itself," said Ndebele.
He urged ministers to engage to find solutions to these problems and charter a way forward for the transport sector and related infrastructure.
"If you want to drive an economy from where it is to a higher point in the development index, one cannot do so unless your transport logistics platform is ready to play its proper role as what we call the engine for growth and development," said Ndebele.
"Our success as individual nations depends on our success as a regional collective."
The cabinet recently announced the formation of the infrastructure commission chaired by President Jacob Zuma.
The commission seeks to prioritise the provision of infrastructure in the country's economy.
