Let me first welcome all of you present here this afternoon and further state our firm conviction in the building and strengthening of partnerships between the provincial government and the media fraternity. It is a partnership we want to nurture and consolidate in the interest of promoting accountability and transparency.
It would also be proper for me to also extend a hand of partnership to various stakeholders in our province, namely, business, religious sector, traditional leadership and the community in its diversity. It will also be our primary mission to build a cohesive and united Mpumalanga wherein each citizen benefits from the opportunities accruing from democracy.
In this connection, the executive I am about to present to you in a short while is expected to promote inclusive governance, transparency and be accountable to the sectors and people of the province. In the same spirit, we urge key sectors in our province to lend support to the members of the executive as they assume their public duties.
As we said yesterday during the inauguration ceremony, substantial progress has been achieved since 1994 by successive African National Congress (ANC) led governments in our province and we also pledge to do more in order to bring about an improved quality of life for all our people, particularly the rural poor.
Over the next five years, we will be hard at work to realise the five key objectives we have set ourselves as the governing party. The overwhelming mandate, which we accept with humility and confidence, enjoins us to do more in order to consolidate democracy and expand the horizons of freedom.
Accordingly, the key focus will be on the creation of jobs and sustainable livelihoods, provision of quality education, access to quality health care, closing the urban rural dichotomy through a renewed focus on food security, land reform and lastly, intensifying our common efforts to deal with the scourge of corruption, lack of integrity and crime.
As a result and after thorough consultations with various stakeholders, I am confident this team will be capable of prosecuting this mandate cause their various experiences, track record and potential has empowered them for any task they are called upon to execute by the ruling party.
Let me add that we have also reconfigured some departments informed by the national mandate and the challenges facing the province.
Our members of the executive are as follows:
MEC for Finance: Mrs Pinky Phosa
MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism: Mr Jabu Mahlangu
MEC for Culture, Sport and Recreation: Mr Vusi Shongwe
MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison: Mrs Sbongile Manana
MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport: Dr Clifford Mukasi
MEC for Health and Social Development: Ms Dikeledi Mahlangu
MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration: Mr Meshack Malinga
MEC for Education: Ms Regina Mhaule
MEC for Human Settlement: Mr Madala Masuku
MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs: Mr Norman Mokoena
As we conclude let me congratulate all of you and wish you well in your new assignments.
Thank you very much for your time.
Enquiries:
Ntime Skhosana
Cell: 082 496 6875
Tel: 013 766 2055
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
12 May 2009
