Construction of the Gautrain is to start in October.
So says Gauteng MEC for Public Transport, Roads and Works Ignatius Jacobs, who announced on Tuesday that the first line of the train would be open by the end of 2009.
Speaking at the launch of the new Akanani Project Management Academy, Jacobs promised that Gauteng residents would have a state-of-the-art public transport system by 2010.
The academy, which is a joint venture between the Da Vinci Institute of Technology Management and Dornier Consulting of Germany, is being established to address the shortage of project management skills in the province to meet the infrastructural challenges of the 2010 World Cup and the construction of the Gautrain lines.
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The academy will offer courses, seminars and practical training to assist the private and public sectors, as well as other professions, in upgrading and expanding their project management capabilities.
Welcoming the joint venture, Jacobs said it had the potential to be "another powerful tool for the transformation of our economy and society.
"It will empower black engineers to make their full contribution to the expansion and modernisation of our infrastructure as the basis, not only for a masterfully executed World Cup, but for the future long-term growth of the province, the country and other African countries."
The academy will recruit students from the private sector from engineering firms, particularly in the field of transportation, the automotive industry, infrastructural engineering as well as from the public sector and local, provincial and national government.
Da Vinci is a private higher education institution which offers formal qualifications in the management of technology and innovation.
Dornier, a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, is a consultancy involved in about 100 projects, valued at €44-billion (about R340-billion), in 20 countries. Representatives will be holding regular meetings with the SA Football Association to establish specific requirements on an ongoing basis.
"We lack project management skills in the province and in the country. This academy will help to bridge the gap at no expense to government. This will boost investor confidence," said Jacobs.
He added that the three metros within the province - Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni - would be working together as a "global city region" to reach the 2010 goals faster.
A new road map for the province would be in place by August, he said.
The Gautrain was necessary not only for the World Cup but to address the increasing traffic congestion on the roads.
"We will be evaluating tenders at the end of April. People will be encouraged to use trains through campaigns which will build confidence in the system," Jacobs said.
metrowatch.co.za
- This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on February 23, 2005
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