Mangaung Activity Corridor
1 October 2007
Programme Director
Executive Mayor of Mangaung, Councillor Gertrude Mothupi
The MEC for Local government
Representatives of Ninham Shand
Ladies and gentlemen
This event provides us an opportunity to clarify the many distortions and
negative reporting particularly by the media, regarding this project.
What was particularly disturbing about media reports was a perception
linking inefficiency with the democratic dispensation.
A project of this nature and magnitude, will always invite challenges
particularly because it depended among others on the buy in of all stakeholders
particularly private sector.
We are satisfied that this project is finally successfully completed.
It is part of our mandate to correct the apartheid spatial problems whereby
major developments had to only happen in the so-called white settlements.
The partnership between the national department, the provincial government
and the city of Mangaung can serve as a very god case study for
intergovernmental planning, co-ordination and delivery.
For that purpose, we want to thank particularly the Executive Mayor and the
city leadership for visionary and strategic approach towards development
Mangaung will always remain a barometer through which the rest of South Africa
and the world measure the success or failure of our government.
It is therefore logical that we invest so much in the overall management of
the municipality in terms of human, financial and other resources.
The activity corridor is an important link for all our people to have access
to health services, educational facilities as well as recreation.
It is an important commercial development which makes it possible for
workers to link with job opportunities as well as industries to have access to
the critical market.
The overall idea is to do our planning in such a manner that we integrate
our planning in line with the national housing vision.
On behalf of the provincial government, we want to appreciate the role
played by the national department, the MEC and the Department of Local
Government and Housing, Ninham Shand and all the other role players for a job
well done.
This corridor is part of the history of Mangaung and it carries with it,
much historical moment, which are today part of our collective heritage.
We will therefore work hard to ensure that our vision of social and economic
infrastructure becomes a reality.
I thank you
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Free State Provincial Government
1 October 2007
