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State of the Province Address Delivered
by the Premier of Limpopo Province Mr Cassel
Mathale to the First Session of the Fourth
Democratic Legislature, Polokwane, Peter
Mokaba Stadium
11 JUNE 2009
Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker;
Members of the Legislature and NCOP
Members of the Executive Council;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Judge President of North and South
Gauteng Judge Bernard Ngoepe;
Judge G N K Hetisani;
Executive Mayors and Mayors of
local municipalities;
Commissioner of Police;
Director General and Heads of
Departments;
Leaders of Opposition Parties;
Chairperson of the House of
Traditional Leaders;
Our esteemed Majesties and
Your Royal Highnesses here
present;
Former MPs and MPLs;
Provincial Secretary of the
ANC cde Joe Maswanganyi;
Stalwarts and Veterans of our
struggle;
Leadership of Chapter nine
and ten Institutions;
Leadership of various religious
formations;
Leadership of Bussiness
and Labour
Youth, Women, Community
leaders and Media representatives;
Distinguished guests,
Comrades, Ladies and gentlemen;
The people of Limpopo
State
The year 2009 will go down in the calendar
of our revolution as one that saw the
renewal of our freedom. The April 22nd
elections proved once again that the
overwhelming majority of the people of this
country cherish living in a free and
democratic society. Democracy for many South
Africans, is no longer just a mirage or a
dream, but has turned into becoming a way of
life. We practice democracy not only during
elections, but even as we go about our daily
chores. The culture of democracy permeates
in every corner of our land. There is
democracy in our schools and there is
democracy in our religious formations; we
practice democracy in our meetings and
always respect its outcomes. Even the most
traditional of our rural communities today
run their business along democratic values
and principles. The power of democracy
reverberates throughout our workplaces, and
can be felt even in our homes.
Honourable Speaker
On the 22nd of April, millions of people
went to the polls to exercise their
democratic right to vote for a government of
their choice. 85% of our people in the
province gave the African National Congress
the mandate to continue to change their
lives for the better. We want to thank you
for your support. The fact that we went in
our numbers to go and exercise this right,
is prove enough that democracy is indeed
well and alive in our country. By merely
exercising this right, we have reaffirmed
once again that South Africa belongs to all
who live in it, black and white.
The results of the April 22nd general
elections proved that the ANC government
carries the hopes and aspirations of most
people. The results also proved that the ANC
will continue for many more years to lead
our people.
Your decision to return the African National
Congress government into power once again,
shows that you’re content with the strides
that we have made in the last 15 years. It
also shows that you are confident that we
shall do more and better to lead our people
in the next five years.
Your actions have affirmed the vision of the
Freedom Charter when it says that: “No
government can justly claim authority to
rule, unless it is based on the will of all
the people.”
People of Limpopo!
Today’s gathering is yet another indicator
that this government is based on the will of
the people. We decided to hold these
proceedings in the Peter Mokaba stadium
because we believe in an interactive
government. We do not just want to talk
about unity and cohesion, when it is
convenient - but we want to exemplify it.
Our gathering here today is a sign that we
hold this ideal in high esteem, and are
prepared to make sacrifices for it if needs
be. This government does not just want to
talk about the people when there are
elections – but, we want to be with the
people and to serve their needs. We belong
to the people, and stand on the foundation
laid by you.
Therefore, nothing we do should ever
separate us from yourselves. Whatever the
challenges we face, we want to make you part
and parcel of our decisions. This government
is ready to serve you! Our ears are ready to
listen - because we understand your goals
and empathize with your problems. We want to
learn from you, and benefit from your views.
In short, we believe that your views are our
vision. This spirit of openness, oneness and
togetherness will continue into the future,
as we plan to introduce like President Jacob
Zuma has done, a toll free line in the
Office of the Premier, which all members of
the public will use to hold accountable,
those of us who have been elected to serve.
Honourable Speaker and Fellow Compatriots,
It is now my honour to welcome you all to
this sitting of the First session of the
Fourth Legislature of Limpopo.
Honourable Speaker
Gathered in this stadium, are the diverse
people of our province – we have the youth,
women, workers, learners, professionals, the
unemployed, church leaders, artists,
business people, traditional leaders, trade
unionists and sports people, amongst others.
On behalf of the government, I wish to
extend our gratitude to all of you, for
working hard to mobilize our people to take
part in our recent elections. Your abiding
confidence and support to our constitutional
democracy is something that we will always
cherish.
Your actions have produced a democratic
government that not only cares for the
people, but one that also listens. The
elections have also produced for the first
time a national cabinet with no less than
four serving Ministers who come from our
province. We thank the President for
honouring this province with the appointment
of Honourable Collins Chabane, Minister in
the Presidency responsible for Performance,
Monitoring and Evaluation, Honourable Dr
Aaron Motsoaledi Minister of Health,
Honourable Maite Nkoana-Mashabane Minister
International Relations and Co-operations,
Honourable Richard Baloyi, Minister of
Public Service and Administration,
Honourable Dr Joe Phaahla, Deputy Minister
of Rural Development and Land Reform, and
Honourable Rejoice Mabudafhasi, Deputy
Minister of Water and Environment. We also
applaud the deployment of Honourable M J
Mahlangu as Chairperson of the NCOP and
Honourable Dr Mathole Motshekga as Chief
Whip of the National Assembly. We
congratulate all of these comrades on their
deployment and trust that they will carry
out the mandate bestowed upon them by the
people of South Africa.
Their appointment is yet another indicator
that Limpopo is endowed with talent and
leadership. We have never run short of
leaders. Even during the days of the
struggle we produced many tried and tested
soldiers who left indelible footprints in
the history of this country. I wish to evoke
here the spirit and memories of outstanding
sons and daughters of this province of the
calibre of such dedicated giants as Sefako
Makgatho, Alpheus Malivha, Mark Shope, Peter
Nchabeleng, Lawrence Phokanoka, Flag
Boshielo, Uriah Maleka, Peter Mokaba,
Ephraim Mogale, Bachana Mokoena, France
Mohlala, Ngoako Ramalepe, Sophie Mogotlane,
Shadrack Mafokoane, Fawcert Mathebe, Norman
Mashabane, Josephine Moshobane, Thembi
Skosana, Tracy Malatjie, Maxwell Mulaudzi
and many more.
Because of their tireless work in defense of
our people, it is the duty of all of us to
ensure that these leaders forever remain on
the roll of honour of our struggle. We will
always remember them and emulate their
shining example in everything that we do.
Their lives and death will remain a beacon
of hope for the living, and all those who
love freedom and democracy.
Honourable Speaker, I deem it fit to express
our deepest condolences on the recent
passing of Koko Moloko Temo from Mohodi in
the Capricorn District. Koko Temo passed on
last Wednesday at the age of 135. At that
age she was known to have been one of the
oldest persons alive both here in South
Africa and probably in the World. We are
proud to have shared this province of
Limpopo with her, and pray that her soul
rests in peace. Her life story must teach
our people that it is indeed possible to
live long, if we maintain a healthy
lifestyle.
Honourable Speaker
We meet here today at a time when the
country is faced with the reality of a
global economic meltdown. We are part of the
Global village hence we will be impacted
upon economically by this global phenomenon
as a country and a province in particular.
We will have to learn to live within our
means and to fully exploit all the
opportunities that come with this setback.
We recommit ourselves to remain optimistic
and persistent even when the times will be
harder. We will refuse to give in, even when
the odds are stacked against us.
If we truly desire a better life, we must
remain focused on our goal to ensure that,
this country does indeed become a better
place to live in - both for ourselves and
our grand children. The African National
Congress has laid out a dream which all of
us must strive to achieve. In order to
succeed in implementing this dream, we need
to focus on the ball, and avoid the
distractions that could sabotage our
success.As the President has already
said, our economic stimulus package will
mainly focus on the roll-out of
infrastructure. We are fortunate that we are
hosting the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup games
and are already geared up in the mood of
spending on infrastructure. Apart from
public sector infrastructure investment
projects that we have initiated, the
province will mitigate the impact of the
economic meltdown by prioritizing amongst
others:
- Skills development and training;
- Exploit mining; agriculture and
tourism opportunities
- Intensification of the roll out of
EPWP projects;
- Distribution of food parcels to the
needy;
- Continuation and an increase in the
roll out of social grants;
- Immediate filling up of vacant
government posts;
- Focus on job creation;
- Influencing consumer behavior;
- Introduction on new “green”
employment opportunities and;
- Recognising items that drive costs
within each department;
Honourable Speaker
This is a moment of renewal. It is time
to give meaning and purpose to our hard-won
liberties. Nothing can ever deter us from
the commitment we have made, to do more and
better for our people. The freedoms we have
struggled for have to be defended, protected
and advanced.
They should never be reduced to empty
slogans without meaning. From now on, we
commit ourselves to use our renewed energies
for the bettering of education, health, the
fight against crime, provision of decent
work opportunities, and the development of
rural communities. We also commit ourselves
to implement the pronouncements made by the
President together with the priorities
contained in the Medium Term Strategic
Framework (MTSF).
We are currently reviewing the Provincial
Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) in
order for it to reflect the objectives of
the Medium Term Strategic Framework, and the
new priorities of our government. In order
to align the responsibilities of the new
ministries in Provincial government, we are
setting up a Task Team in the Office of the
Premier. The task team shall look into the
issues of responsibilities of departments
and their possible renaming. It will further
lead the assessment of the capacity of the
provincial administration to deliver on the
mandates as well as identification of
competency gaps of our public service.
In an attempt to enhance capacity of
planning and coordination for both
municipalities and departments, we are going
to strengthen the planning unit in the
Premier’s Office.
We are also reconfiguring the provincial
Executive Council clusters to reflect the
needs of our priorities in the next five
years. The new clusters are: social cluster,
economic cluster; security cluster;
infrastructure cluster; and governance and
administration cluster.
Honourable Speaker, there is a lot to be
done and we cannot waste any more days
before we implement our vision. The
elections have come and gone, and it is now
time for implementation. The dreams and
hopes of all the people of this province are
on our hands and must be fulfilled. As
President Zuma has instructed, “there is no
place for complacency, no place for
cynicism, no place for laziness and no place
for excuses. Everything we do, must
contribute in a direct and meaningful way to
the improvement of the lives of our people”.
Our future starts today! The time for
procrastination has passed! We have to
revitalize a new culture of doing a job
today, and finish it, today and not
tomorrow! We want to put it clear that we
shall not tolerate government officials who
return unspent money back to the fiscus,
only because they failed to plan. As the
President has instructed, “there must be no
wastage, no rollovers - every cent must be
spent wisely and fruitfully”.
We know historically that government has
suffered from this challenge and now is the
time to correct it.
Just as we worked hard together to
destroy the system of apartheid, we are now
called upon to isolate those wicked elements
amongst us, who care little about the
delivery of services to our people. We
cannot for a day allow the dreams of our
people to be deferred, only because there
are a few amongst us who owe loyalty to
themselves and not to the people. Let us
cleanse ourselves from these bad habits, and
use every opportunity given to us to build a
Limpopo province of our dreams. In the same
breath, let me also applaud those
hardworking public servants who walk an
extra mile in order to provide quality
services to our people. Let us all support
them as they continue to pursue this noble
course.
Honourable Speaker
Allow me to present a programme of action on
the mission we have been assigned to carry
out in the next five years. We have said
that our new mandate represents both
continuity and change hence we are building
on the strong foundation laid in the past 15
years. Some of the things we will carry over
emanating from the 15 year review process,
include the establishment of the skills
development and growth funds, recruitment
and retention of specialized skills,
improvement of management of anti-corruption
initiatives, province-wide bulk water and
sewer system infrastructure; and investment
promotion projects.
Our special priority projects for the next
five years will include the establishment of
specialized schools in each district, which
will focus on technical and agricultural
skills; the roll-out of hospital
revitilisation programmes; the upgrading of
sewer systems; the development of
information society through the rollout of
the broadband infrastructure network; and
the creation of no less than 5 000 public
service job opportunities.
Honourable Speaker
The provincial economy is doing well and has
been quite resilient in the face of the
raging global economic meltdown. Compared to
the rest of the country, Limpopo is the only
province where unemployment went down by
3.6% in the 1st quarter of 2009, as reported
by Statistics South Africa. Alongside
Gauteng and the Western Cape, we are also
counted amongst the provinces whose
economies grew by 3.8% above the national
average of 3.6% between 1996 and 2007. We
regard this as an encouraging development
which the province can only build on into
the future. Notwithstanding this positive
outlook, our greatest challenge in the
labour market remains the poor rate of
labour absorption and the low rate of labour
force participation.
Honourable Speaker
Provision of decent work opportunities
and sustainable livelihoods: MTSF Priority
1: Speeding up economic growth and
transforming the economy to create decent
work and sustainable livelihoods.
We have said in our manifesto that the
provision of decent work opportunities and
sustainable livelihoods is at the heart of
our endeavours to fight poverty. The
objective of creating decent work
opportunities, and the building of
sustainable livelihoods comes from the bold
injunction contained in the Freedom Charter
that: The People shall Share in the
Country’s Wealth!
Mining, tourism and agriculture remain the
cornerstone of our economy in the province
with the potential to stimulate economic
growth and development. Along with these
pillars of the provincial economy, seven
industrial clusters have been identified to
propel job creation and economic growth. The
focus of these clusters is on horticulture,
meat, forestry, coal, energy, logistics and
petrochemicals, platinum and tourism. In the
past years, these clusters have generated
R31 billion investments inflow into the
province. Within the petrochemical industry
Sasol is going to do a massive investment in
the energy sector Eskom is busy with the
construction of a new power station, etc.
Honourable Speaker
Limpopo is one of the second biggest mining
hubs in South Africa. The contribution of
mining activities over the past years has
helped to generate wealth and to uplift the
standards of many of our people. However, we
are aware of sporadic conflicts between
various mining communities and mining
houses, especially in places such as
Motlhothlo in the Waterberg District. Our
view is that these disputes have to be
addressed in the interest of both the
communities and the mines. As the Freedom
Charter says, “the mineral wealth beneath
our soil remains the heritage of our people.
The provisions of the Mining Petroleum
Resources Development Act have to be
enforced to ensure that our people benefit
from the mineral wealth that lies beneath
our soil. Together with the Department of
Mining, we will continue to engage with the
parties involved to find lasting solutions
that will benefit both the mines and
communities involved.
Honourable Speaker
Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME)
represent by far the biggest sources of
empowerment for many of our people. As part
of measures to create decent work and
sustainable livelihoods, we shall ensure
that 30% of our total procurement budget is
used to procure goods from small micro and
medium enterprises. This will be done in
such a way that the youth, women and the
disabled benefit.
As part of measures to accelerate Broad
Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) in
the mining industry, we are pleased to
report that LimDev will be disposing off 30%
of its shareholding in ASA Metals. This is a
move which is aimed at empowering the
historically disadvantaged people of Limpopo
to enter the mining industry. Suitably
qualified bidders will be invited to submit
an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the
acquisition of 30% of the shareholding in
ASA Metals during the course of this year.
This will also benefit the local community.
Honourable Speaker
Tourism remains an important creator of jobs
and an earner of foreign currency. The
business wing of Limpopo Tourism and Parks -
Limpopo Wildlife Resorts (LWR) is engaged in
the programme of upgrading and revamping
recreational facilities and lodges in the
provincial nature reserves. This will offer
our communities and visitors to the province
competent facilities that are accessible and
affordable. So far, the upgrading programme
has seen 12 Provincial Reserve facilities
upgraded including Nylsvlei International
site. For the first time in the province, we
have seen the launch of the 1st Cable Car
initiative at the Euphoria Tourism
operations in Mookgopong. This has resulted
into a total investment of R20 million in
the industry. We are confident that this
investment will attract more tourists into
our province.
As part of measures to enhance
transformation in the tourism industry and
to ensure equitable redistribution of
tourism opportunities - we are committed to
make sure that 15% of the tourism industry
in the province, lend in the hands of the
Previously Disadvantaged Individuals (PDIs)
– at least by the end of this financial
year.
For the past five years, Limpopo has been
one of the biggest contenders of national
awards in the tourism industry. Our Guest
Houses and Lodges have often come out top in
these awards. It is for this reason why we
welcome the intention by the Limpopo Tourism
and Parks to stage Provincial Tourism
Industry Awards as from next year in order
to encourage competitiveness. This will be
good news for tourism in the province as we
prepare ourselves to host the 2010 Soccer
World Cup games and beyond. In this regard,
I’m privileged to recognize three resorts
from Limpopo which managed to scoop the AA
awards at the 2009 national Tourism Indaba
in Durban early this year. The winners of
this prize are Forever Resorts Swadini in
Hoedspruit, Victoria Place Guest House in
Polokwane, and the Nedile Lodge at
Welgevonden Private Game Reserve. We would
like to congratulate these establishments
for doing the province proud in this
competition.
Honourable Speaker
Education: MTSF Priority 2: Strengthen
our skills and human resource base
It is time for black learners to be taught
quality education in real schools. As part
of measures to reduce over-crowding and
improve teaching and learning in schools,
the following has been done in respect to
infrastructure.
We have built 4 new state-of- the- art
schools which were opened two months ago by
former President Kgalema Motlanthe. Another
8 are currently being built and will all be
finished and opened by the end of this year.
All these schools shall have a modern
computer center, a modern laboratory, a home
economics centre (for high schools), a
modern book library, state- of-the-art
biology laboratory (for high schools),
state–of –the art toy library (for primary
schools), a nutrition centre (for primary
schools), modern classrooms and a 1000
capacity school hall. What this development
tells us is that, the days of black children
conducting experiments through imagination
are soon to pass.
Honourable Speaker
Over and above state-of-the-art schools, we
will rebuild 188 dilapidated schools,
upgrade 51 schools and reconstruct 102 storm
damaged schools as part of school
infrastructure planning and delivery. We
will also increase the number of learners to
be transported to schools from 12 506 to 15
000. We will eliminate sanitation backlog at
268 schools and provide 274 schools with
water by 2010. 109 schools will also be
equipped with electricity. We will provide
3, 200 public schools with computers and
further train learners in computer literacy.
We shall accelerate IT connectivity to 30
circuit offices and provide 1, 500 schools
with e-mail facility.
As part of measures to fast track human
development from the cradle to the grave,
training and development of early childhood
practitioners will be prioritised. We have
already trained 3 047 practitioners and the
target now is to train 394 who will teach
Grade R. We will further increase the number
of Grade R learners from 2649 to 110 000 by
2010 in 2 546 schools.
Consistent with our programme to gradually
introduce free education, we will ensure
that 71% of all schools in lower quintiles
are declared no fee schools. We currently
have 2 832 schools out of 4 015 which are no
free schools. This intervention will go a
long way to increase access to public
schooling for the majority of learners
coming from poorer households.
In the next five years, we shall give
attention to continuous professional
development for both educators and school
principals. The development of educators
will cover significantly the area of
national curriculum statement
implementation. This will be complemented by
the training of 1 652 school principals in
curriculum management. We will also ensure
that the issue of temporary teachers is
attended to.
As part of our mandate to enhance the
quality of learning and teaching, we will
progressively expand the school nutrition
programme to include high school learners in
poorer areas. 218 351 learners in quintile 1
high schools will be provided with nutrition
for 195 days. This in turn will serve to
enhance the concentration levels in the
classroom and improve learner achievement.
We will also expand the Dinaledi schools
programme beyond the current band of 50, in
order to ensure that more schools prioritise
maths and science. Already, we are proud
that the province has increased the number
of schools which qualified for club 100
schools status, from 1 school in 2007 to 4
schools in 2008. We are confident that the
direction we are taking, especially in
mathematics and science shall help us create
a culture of achievement and improve learner
outcomes in all our schools.
In the next five years we shall also seek to
reduce the burden of illiteracy through the
enrolment of more learners on the ABET
programme in line with the President’s
target of 50% by 2014. Our plan is to add 45
new ABET centres and increase the number of
enrolment by 4000 in 2010. Already 666 ABET
centres are operational and 36 344 learners
were registered at the beginning of this
year.
Honourable Speaker
Health: MTSF Priority 3: Improve the
health profile of the nation
The wellness and the health of our people
remain one of the key priorities of this
government in the next five years. Although
notable progress has been registered in the
building of clinics and access to primary
health care, at lot still needs to be done
to guarantee the quality of our services.
During this financial year we shall improve
access to primary health care service by
increasing the number of clinics providing
24 hour service from the current 74% to 86%.
In order to improve and expand our programme
on immunisation coverage we shall strive to
achieve the target of 90% by the end of this
financial year. The baseline for
immunisation coverage is currently sitting
at 83%
.
Our province is one of those plagued by a
serious challenge of availability of
medicines and qualified health care
professionals. The current ratio of nurses
and doctors per patients leaves much to be
desired and needs to be drastically
improved. As part of measures to deal with
this challenge, government will recruit new
professionals and spend more on bursaries.
The purpose is to retain existing skills and
to add the numbers of health professionals
in the province.
Honourable Speaker
HIV/AIDS continues to be a challenge in our
society. However, we are encouraged to learn
that the prevalence rate for women attending
ante-natal clinics in public health
institutions in 2007 has shown a significant
decline in the province since 2004. The Sero-prevalence
rate amongst pregnant women decreased from
20.7% in 2006 to 18.5% in 2007 below the
national prevalence rate of 28%.
Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) sites also
increased from 47 in 2007/08 to 64 in the
2008/09 financial year. The number of
patients benefiting from ARV treatment has
increased from 17 019 to 43 025 as of March
this year. Notwithstanding the low
prevalence rate we will continue to provide
ARVs until those who need it can have
access. Our message remains that, every one
of us must adhere to the (ABC) prevention
message i.e. Abstinence, Being faithful to
one’s partner, and the use of Condom.
Honourable Speaker
Amongst some of the initiatives we will
embark upon this financial year, include the
strengthening of the management of TB by
increasing the cure rate to 68% from the
current rate of 61%. We will also extend the
MDR-TB unit from 50 to 90 beds and refurbish
existing TB wards. As part of measures to
expand and improve tertiary health services
in the province, we are pleased to learn
that our Department of Health and Social
Development has established a new
Cardiothoracic Unit at Pietersburg Hospital.
This unit conducted its 1st successful heart
surgery in January this year.
Rural Development, Land Reform, Food
Security and Agrarian Change: MTSF Priority
4: Comprehensive Rural Development linked to
land and Agrarian reform and food security
Honourable Speaker
One of the mandates given to us by the
electorate relate to the question of rural
development. Our vision is to see
sustainable and vibrant rural communities
with all the amenities which are necessary
to support the quality of life in a rural
area. An ideal rural community must have
economic opportunities; it must have access
to roads, access to water, electricity,
irrigation systems, Information
Communication Technology (ICT) systems,
shopping malls, schools, ABET centres,
libraries, clinic, community halls and
sports facilities. It is a fact that many of
our rural villages today do not have many of
these amenities
There are lessons we have learned out of the
campaign on War Room against poverty in
Ga-Kgatla village in the Blouberg
municipality - which is a typical example of
a poverty stricken rural community. Our
visit at Ga-Kgatla village last year made us
aware of the serious backlogs which the
people had to live under. Last year, the
village had no electricity but today as we
speak the situation looks different. We are
proud Honourable Speaker to say that Eskom
has started a process of electrifying the
entire village and there is hope that many
other services will be delivered soon.
This is a clear example of what can be done
to fight rural poverty and underdevelopment.
Although a lot still needs to be done in the
area, we are confident that this is the way
to go if we have to make a difference in the
lives of rural communities. In collaboration
with the private sector, we will further
focus on the revitilisation of rural towns
which are linked to the ten provincial
growth points. Already we are building and
relocating most of our district municipal
offices in these towns so that we maintain
their sustainability and future development.
Honourable Speaker
As the President has said, the Department of
Rural Development and Land Reform is
piloting its first national project at
Muyexe village in Greater Giyani
Municipality. The project is aimed at
developing a model of a comprehensive and
integrated rural community. The intention is
to replicate the lessons and successes of
this model to all villages throughout the
country. So far, the pilot has caught the
attention of the country and brought to the
surface untold poverty which many rural
people experience on a daily basis. The
depth of poverty at Muyexe and in many other
villages across our province reflects the
extent to which rural people as a group were
condemned by successive apartheid regimes.
One of the lessons we are learning from the
Muyexe pilot is that, rural development
cannot be imposed on the people. It will
have to start with the people if it is ever
going to make an impact on their lives.
Honourable Speaker
As part of measures to boost food security,
we will embark on agrarian reform with a
view to support subsistence food production.
We will also expand the role and
productivity of modern small-holder farming
and maintain a vibrant and competitive
agricultural sector. 21 projects will be
assisted with irrigation infrastructure
development as part of the Comprehensive
Agricultural Support Programme (CASP). The
Revitilisation of Small Irrigations Schemes
(RESIS) programme will be accelerated to
benefit 423 farmers. Already 216 farmers
have benefited from this project. We will
further develop 24 micro enterprise projects
in order to eradicate extreme hunger and
poverty through the implementation of
anti-poverty strategy.
In support of the strategy for the white
meat cluster, eight poultry houses with the
capacity to incubate 40 000 chickens will be
put in place by the end of this financial
year. Four of these are in Sekhukhune
district i.e. one in Makhuduthamaga and
three in Elias Motsoaledi Municipalities.
One of the key aims of our integrated red
meat programme is to promote the breeding of
indigenous livestock through the provision
of breeding stock and infrastructure
support. So far 33 bulls have already been
distributed to emerging farmers and we shall
have by the end of the year 230 cows
distributed.
Government has initiated the Mechanisation
Revolving Credit Access Scheme (MERECAS) in
order to ensure that emerging farmers in the
province acquire appropriate farming
mechanisation. Last year, we assisted 94
farmers with the purchase of new tractors
and other implements. The programme will
continue this year and our target is to
benefit 38 farmers through the scheme.
We will continue to deploy both human and
material resources to ensure that arable
land becomes productive. Our major plan for
2009/2010 is to improve the technical skills
of scientists and extension officers in
order for them to be of better service to
farmers. Partnerships will be forged with
other role players for this to be a success.
Working together with the Department of
Rural Development and Land Reform we will
expedite land redistribution and restitution
programmes.
Fighting Crime and corruption: MTSF 5:
Intensify the fight against crime and
corruption
Honourable Speaker
In order to fight crime and uproot corrupt
practices in our province, government is
strengthening efforts aimed at coordinating
the Criminal Justice System. As part of this
effort, we shall re-establish the Provincial
Justice Crime Prevention and Security
Cluster and implement the Provincial Crime
Prevention Strategy. Our criminal justice
and security cluster will be boosted by the
establishment of a new Limpopo High court to
be built here in Polokwane.
Renewed efforts to fight crime will see the
introduction of street committees, safer
schools campaign and community safety
forums. The Rural Safety Plan will be
implemented and made visible in rural areas.
We urge every citizen to participate in
these forums in order to make a difference
in the fight against crime.
We will not allow public trust in our
government to be eroded by few corrupt
public officials. Media reports that there
are those in the public service who have
corrupt dealings with the state are being
followed up to ascertain whether there is
any breach of government laws and code of
good practice. We are ready to punish anyone
found to have abused the state, for either
private or personal gain. Businesspeople who
corrupt public officials through bribes will
also be caught soon and shown the full the
wrath of the law. Members of the community
must use the toll-free line that we are
setting up in the Office of the Premier to
report fraud and other corrupt activities.
Corruption is a dangerous cancer which eats
on the fabric of society and must be
stopped. This government is prepared to
spare neither limb nor life to get to the
bottom of this challenge which threatens our
moral regeneration efforts.
MTSF Priority 6: Massive programme to
build economic and social infrastructure
Honourable Speaker
As the President has said, government will
roll out massive infrastructure over the
next five years to stimulate growth and
development in the economy. We have
completed the spatial development framework
which identifies growth points where the
bulk of economic activities are taking
place.
Linked to these growth points is the urgent
need to invest on our transport and
logistics infrastructure in order to support
the scale of economic activities that is
already taking place in these towns. The R33
(Modimolle to Lephalale) and R37 (Polokwane
to Burgersfort) roads have been identified
as important networks with huge potential of
enhancing economic productivity in the
province, especially in the mining industry.
Engagements have been held with the South
African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL),
and we are happy that R33 will soon be
proclaimed into a national road. The work to
reseal R37 from Polokwane to Olifantsriver
will also be undertaken. Other key
logistical developments include the terminal
building in Polokwane International Airport
which is 99% complete. By the end of this
financial year, we shall ensure that it
becomes 100% complete and fully operational.
We are finally pleased that the Regional
Mall of the North in Polokwane is being
constructed to the tune of R1.5 billion. It
is envisaged that the mall shall generate
about 1 500 permanent jobs and close to 1
500 temporary jobs upon completion.
Honourable Speaker
Water provision, sanitation, and electricity
remain some of the key challenges facing the
people of our province. Although a lot has
been achieved, a lot still needs to be done
to ensure that we achieve the household
supply of 83% water and electricity by 2010;
and 50% for sanitation. With regard to water
provision, we find it completely
unacceptable that people are without
drinking water whilst many of the dams are
full. The situation in Giyani is
particularly worrisome and something will
have to be done urgently to provide relief
to members of the community. We are closely
watching this situation and are constantly
in discussions with the Department of Water
and Environmental Affairs (DWEA) to help
salvage the problem.
Honourable Speaker
The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)
is at the centre of efforts to fight poverty
and create decent work. One of the
historical realities about our country is
that the legacy of the past has prevented
many of our people from acquiring requisite
skills and opportunities to effectively
participate in the economy. The EPWP is one
of several government strategies aimed at
the provision of additional work
opportunities coupled with training. It is a
programme that is aimed at bridging the gap
between the growing economy and the large
numbers of unskilled and unemployed people
who have yet to fully enjoy the benefits of
economic development. It builds on the
expansion of government infrastructure
projects and the roll-out of social
programmes.
As the President has indicated, the country
has already reached the goal of one million
job opportunities by last year - which is a
year earlier, than envisaged in the 2004
electoral mandate. Of this one million, the
Limpopo Province contributed 144,472 work
opportunities which translate to 14.4% of
the national target. Of this number, 43,253
of people were trained in technical and life
skills, whilst about 21,120 entrepreneurial
firms were trained under the EPWP
learnership programme. Of the people
employed, 41% were women, 34% youth and 1%
were people with disabilities.
As a build up from the first phase, we have
launched two months ago, the second phase of
the Expanded Public Works Programme with a
national goal of creating 4.5 million decent
work opportunities or two million full time
jobs.
Limpopo’s set target in EPWP Phase 2 will be
to create 496,402 work opportunities or
248,000 full time jobs in the next five
years. This will translate to 12% of the
national target. In order to meet the 500
000 national job target set by the President
for 2009, the province will work hard to
create 10 000 job opportunities by the end
of December this year. Some of these jobs
will come through the filling of vacancies
after the rationalisation of SMS posts.
As a way of motivating state owned
enterprises to create more jobs, additional
funding through an established incentive
scheme will be made available to those which
exceed their set targets.
It is my earnest hope that all State owned
Enterprises will redouble their efforts to
ensure the achievement of targets in order
to realise the national goals.
Government procurement policies and other
public incentives will not undermine the
need to promote decent work. We will support
in particular labour - intensive methods,
and the buying of local goods as well as
public-private partnerships. Exploitation of
workers by contractors shall not be
tolerated. We will also blacklist
contractors who will be found to have done
shoddy work or have not paid workers. Once
again we shall encourage and support the
participation of more co-operatives in order
to ensure that a greater number of women,
youth and people with disability benefit
from government procurement.
The launch of the national youth service
programme by the new National Youth
Development Agency will go a long way to
enlist the majority of our young people into
the world of work.
MTSF Priority 7: Build cohesive, caring
and sustainable communities
Honourable Speaker
We have now developed the Provincial Growth
Points Implementation Plan to bolster
sustainable human settlement patterns. This
is part of the new mandate to build human
settlements, and not just houses.
As part of the new mandate of national
government, we will prioritise the
implementation of residential Integrated
Programme, rural Housing programme, farm
worker Housing, hostel redevelopment
(community residential housing), informal
settlement upgrading programme, completion
of incomplete projects, transfer of houses
formerly owned by the state, and the
provision of housing for Military Veterans.
Honourable Speaker
We are mindful of the fact that building
sustainable human settlements shall remain a
challenge, unless we also prioritise the
cohesion of our people. This is not only a
challenge for government, but for every
stakeholder in society. In our attempt to
carry out this mandate, we must seek to
integrate Ubuntu principles into every
sphere of public policy so as to
comprehensively correct the distortions and
imbalances of the past, not only in our
heritage landscape but also in our social,
economic and industrial relations.
Honourable Speaker
MTSF Priority 8: Sustainable Resource
Management and Use
Climate change is a new threat on a global
scale which poses enormous challenge to both
humanity and the immediate environment. In
support of measures to reduce greenhouse
emissions and unsustainable environmental
practices, we will seek to diversify our
energy sources by turning more towards
renewable forms of energy. The province
shall monitor the implementation of the
energy optimisation plan by striving towards
the reduction of 10% electricity consumption
by 2010.
We appeal to communities, business and other
players to act responsibly by saving energy
both as collectives and in their individual
capacity.
Honourable Speaker
MTSF Priority 9: Pursuing African
Advancement and Enhanced International
Co-operation
As part of the mandate to build a better
world and a better Africa, the provincial
government will continue to maintain
friendly ties with other provinces in other
countries. The intention will be to promote
trade, investment and social relations
between and amongst countries, especially on
the African continent. The existing
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) that we
have with provinces in other countries shall
be fully implemented through packaged
projects in line with the provincial
international relations plan.
Honourable Speaker
MTSF Priority 10: Building a
developmental state including improvement of
public services and strengthening democratic
institutions.
As part of measures to promote financial
management and good governance in the
provincial administration, targets have been
set for reducing by half the number of audit
qualifications of all departments. In
municipalities, we will seek to reduce by
26% the number of qualified audits. In
addition to these measures, we shall also
implement the risk and anti-fraud and
corruption strategies to deal with cases of
maladministration and abuse of public
resources. In order to improve the capacity
and efficacy of the state we will pilot and
roll out the province wide monitoring and
evaluation system (PWM&ES).
Honourable Speaker
In line with the set national equity
targets, we will increase the number of
women Senior Management Service (SMS)
members by 50% and maintain the 2% target
for SMS members with disability. This will
go a long way to change the demographics of
gender and disability in our public
administration system as required by the
Constitution.
Honourable Speaker
In the few days from now, South Africa will
be hosting the FIFA Confederations Cup. This
is a moment for South Africans to be proud
of as we host the world on our shores. The
FIFA Confederation Cup will serve as a great
rehearsal for the big spectacle which is the
2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup games. On behalf
of government and the people of Limpopo, I
urge you to show your patriotism by doing
the best you can to support our national
team Bafana Bafana.
We expect you to do the same next year in
June, from the 13th to the 24th when our
province will be hosting four international
games at the new Peter Mokaba sports
complex. These 2010 Soccer World Tournament
must give us an opportunity to showcase the
best that Limpopo can offer to the world. We
must use these games to show the world that
we are better hosts than any of the
countries that ever hosted this world soccer
spectacle.
I have no doubt that you will show your
hospitality to the guests in the best way
you can.
Lastly, I wish to thank members of my staff
and the entire provincial administration for
their unwavering support.
This is a moment of renewal! The time to act
is now!
Working Together We Can Do More
Long Live Limpopo!
I thank you
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