Civil Engineering July 2021 | Vol 29 No 6

Mbalula calls for Pan-African integration of transport Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula believes an integrated, Pan-African transport strategy is non-negotiable if the continent is to become truly competitive and to start effectively up- lifting its people as part of a globalised economy. Mbalula was speaking at the 39 th Southern African Transport Conference where he struck a note of regional integration and African con- sciousness in his address. He reminded delegates of the Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology of 1996, a policy framework agreed on by all SADC states to promote an inte- grated, multimodal transport system throughout Southern Africa. “This protocol can still guide us in har- monising regional transport policy to ensure free movement of people and goods through the region, to boost regional integra- tion and socio-economic ties,” he said. “We need to collectively improve regional and continental ca- pacity. The poor and inadequate state of Africa’s transport network hampers effective competition on the global market. Challenges are road safety, poor linkages and logistical services, lack of capacity and skills, and low investment in ports, equipment and ICT skills.” Mbalula argued that introducing concessions to encourage private-sector players to partner with governments, and for governments to prioritise infrastructure spending as part of its social-development strate- gies, is critical to addressing these challenges. In this regard, Prasa is already implementing a massive R53 billion rail modernisation pro- gramme that features a 65% localisation com- ponent, including the Gibela rail manufacturing plant in Ekurhuleni – a major investment drive for the region and the continent. Mbalula said that South Africa seeks to cross borders to coordinate Southern Africa and the African continent as a whole. He further argued that discussions of transport strategy should be located within the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Continental integration as well as integration with global maritime transport routes will become even more important as the massive oil and gas finds on the east coast of Africa come on stream. “Transport truly drives globalisation. Without an advanced and efficient transport network, it will be difficult – if not impossible – to compete effectively in international markets,” said Mbalula. “To compete globally and create opportunities for our people, we need to continue to bring down tariff barriers. We must use transport infrastructure and policy to increase intra-African trade, with a single continental market and a growing, integrated regional economy.”  BOMAG GmbH appoints Kemach Equipment as the new dealer for SA, Lesotho, Swaziland Effective 1 August 2021, construction equipment manufacturer BOMAG GmbH, based in Boppard Germany, has appointed Kemach Equipment as its new dealer for South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. The company markets the full BOMAG heavy and light machine range from the global market leader in compac- tion technology. “Partnering with Kemach Equipment means a strong branch network and well-founded expertise in the region of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland,” says Randhir Haripersad, BOMAG Area Manager Southern Africa. Kemach Equipment supplies and sup- ports a wide range of products to suit var- ious applications, including earthmoving and road-building equipment for all types of projects and plant hirers. The company, founded in 2003, operates throughout South Africa with its national head office based in Gauteng and regional offices situated in Durban, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and East London. In addition to the equipment itself, Kemach Equipment distributes a full range of lubricants and genuine parts, while field service technicians and expert product support engineers ensure that assistance is always available. As the BOMAG distributor, the company will market the entire BOMAG product range, including compaction machinery for asphalt, soil and landfill construction, milling machines, finishers and stabilisers/recyclers. The range also comprises soil stabilisation equipment and binder spreaders. “Becoming the local BOMAG dealer is an exciting opportunity for us to engage with a new product line and expand our customer offering. BOMAG has an excel- lent reputation for offering high-quality equipment to both local and international markets. Kemach Equipment’s success is built on putting our customers at the heart of the business by supplying only world- class premium products backed by excep- tional support through our national foot- print. We believe that the BOMAG range of products will further enhance our focus on delivering quality products that provide our customers with operating effectiveness and high lifecycle values,” explains Les Lothian, CEO of Kemach Equipment.  Civil Engineering July 2021 49 The Kemach Equipment management team Fikile Mbalula, Minister of Transport