KwaZulu-Natal Premier advocates for high-speed rail link between Durban and Johannesburg to boost investment, tourism
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli addressing delegates at the KZN Investment Conference on Wednesday.
Image: KZN Provincial Government / Facebook
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has emphasised the importance of a speed train that connects Durban and Johannesburg.
Addressing the delegates that are attending the KwaZulu-Natal investment conference on Wednesday, Ntuli said the project has the support of the office of the president.
The KZN investment conference has become the province's flagship investment gathering, facilitated by Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) on behalf of the provincial government.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was given a standing ovation when Premier Ntuli called him to the stage.
Image: KZN Provincial Government / Facebook
It is designed to showcase KZN as one of Africa’s premier trade and investment destinations, while driving transformative and inclusive economic growth in the province.
“I must state that we are moving and with speed on the development of the speed train between Durban and Johannesburg. The project is in the feasibility study. We are talking with Johannesburg and the president has said there should be an engagement between Johannesburg, KwaZulu-Natal and the office of the president on the project,” Ntuli said.
Ntuli revealed that the government is committed to developing rail networks between Durban and secondary cities.
He said this week while travelling back from Cape Town, he was seated next to the Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy and they engaged on the issue. He said they had agreed that this transport network is the future of the province and the country.
He said they agreed that there should be trains connecting Durban with Pietermaritzburg, with Richard's Bay, and the South Coast.
The idea of a speed train has been on the cards for some time, the mayor of EThekwini Cyril Xaba recently spoke on the importance of this project.
The premier also spoke on the importance of attracting investment in the province, he stated that investments were vital to spur economic growth.
He said another leg of the fight for economic growth is the fight against crime.
“We want to thank the KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for the work that you are doing for the sake of this country, this province and the future of our children,” said the premier.
The premier then called the commissioner to the stage where the commissioner got a standing ovation for a few minutes.
Following the standing ovation, Ntuli jokingly said, “I am worried that the commissioner is becoming more popular than me.”