State of the Province Address delivered by the Premier of the North West Province Ms Thandi Ruth Modise at the opening of the north West Provincial Legislature, Mahikeng
Honourable Speaker Mr Supra Mahumapelo;
Honourable Deputy Speaker Mr Philimon Mapulana;
Honourable Members of the Legislature and NCOP;
Members of the Executive Council;
Judge President and members of the Judiciary
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
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;
Magosi a rona;
Former MPs and MPLs;
Leadership of the ANC in the Province
Stalwarts and Veterans of our struggle;
Leaders of Chapter Nine and Ten Institutions;
Leadership of various religious formations;
Leadership of Labour and Business;
Youth, women, community leaders and media representatives;
Distinguished guests;
Comrades, ladies and gentlemen
Honourable Speaker, we celebrate twenty years of liberty this year. It is the twenty years of the return of dignity; it is twenty years of the return of identities, memories and ownership of the country of our birth.
It has been twenty years of democracy – the positives and the negatives: the growth of racial and gender equality, the recognition of the rights of people with disability, the protection of the aged and the children.
It has been twenty years of an uphill march for the economic rights of the previously disadvantaged and a slow slog towards the development of our rural areas and the often interesting tension between the western and the cultural practices.
Honourable speaker
Our province is largely rural; therefore mining; tourism and agriculture form the backbone of our economy. Our province is also identified with poverty, unemployment and inequality. Our history of different types of colonialism, Bantustan and the advent of democracy has not necessarily left us with a united or developed and cohesive province.
As African National Congress (ANC) we made a call to all South Africans to join hands so that together we can do more for our people.
This call remains ever echoing to the hills and valleys of our province, to the mountains and seas of our country to better the lives of our people.
This process has been slow but ever positive to better the quality of the lives of our people. We have often had to stop and repeat and retrace to explain to our policies and action to ensure that those who are still awaiting improvements can get the reasons why we have not reached them, we have retraced, sometimes to review our polices and/or methods of delivery of services. We have even paused to reconsider who was delivering those services. Specifically in the last five years we have had to compare, improve and innovate to equal and even beat our sister provinces.
Honourable Speaker, we do not dwell on yesteryear problems today – we assess the last five years of progress as a province and as a people. It is a report back on our commitment to good governance. We speak to our vision of a society, with capacity to embrace our diversity, to harness our collective energy for common goal.
Honourable speaker
Our educators understand that education is the best tool with which we can change our lives and our world. They demonstrate their commitment to their work and have therefore steadily improved education in our province have all seen the impressive improvement of our matric results over the last five years.
We accept that our education system is less than perfect but we have proven that attention to details, relationships, conditions of teaching and learning can help us deliver better to our province. Our system continues to surge forward in a way that gives us hope that the education of our children is in good hands, hearts and minds.
We are humbled by the work of our school governing bodies keeping schools functional in all respect, stocked, cleaned and repaired, punctual and presentable, often having to trade words to ensure that parents, teachers, learners and communities focussed their energies correctly on our children - our future.
Teacher unions, parents and community members who went on their way to give qualitative support to bring the North West into the second place on the matric results, our thanks goes to you.
The percentage of Matric pass rate increased from under 60% in 1994 to 73% in 2012. North West Grade 12 pass rate increased from 50% in 1997 to 79,5% in 2012 and in 2013 we managed to achieve the excellent pass rate of 87.2%.
We have the honour, also, to proudly say that the Annual National Assessment (ANA) results show that our performance for grades 3, 6 and 9s has improved significantly.
We are assured of the fact that proper development during the formal schooling period, depends on the preparation of the child before the age of 5 years. That is why we have given attention to our early Childhood development centres (ECDs): the training of practitioners to improve the teaching of children in the 0 - 4 years for those in the grade R. In the past five years the number of the grade R learners in public schools increased from 24 926 to 47 761. The numbers of schools with grade R have also increased from 743 to 918.
We have funded 1351 of the 1447 ECD centres we have registered since 2009 and created 12469 jobs at these centres.
The ANC Government has also increased subsidy per child per day from R12 to R15. Our children can only perform better if we provide them with better foundation. To date 1402 schools are benefiting from the no fee programme with a total of 674 752 learners. 31 228 learners are being transported to and from schools through learner transport.
Honourable Members as the President has said, we too have a good story to tell. We have spent over R15 million towards provision of multimedia resources to 100 schools per annum bringing to 500 secondary schools that benefitted over the term in order to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and sciences.
Since 2009, we have converted 18 ordinary schools to full service schools – the province now has 70 full service schools to cater for learners with special needs which receive assistive devices and equipment. More attention is been given to improvement and renovations to ensure that the full service schools and special schools are responsive to the needs of the special needs of the learners.
Honourable Speaker,
The National Development Plan (NDP) envisions a health system that is accessible to all and produces positive health outcomes. We have a good story to tell in the health care for our people. We have an increase in overall life expectancy from 56.5 years in 2009 to 60.0 years in 2011. We also recorded a decrease in the under 5 mortality rate (U5MR) from 56 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2009, to 42 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2011.
We have also seen a decrease in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 40 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2009, to 30 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2011.
The maternal mortality ratio has been reduced from 189/100 000 live births to 181/100 000 live births. We have established 16 maternity waiting homes (MCWH) at a cost of over R4 million and established four milks bank at Potchefstroom, Joe Morolong, Mahikeng and Job Shimakana Tabane Hospital.
Fellow citizens,
We have procured 10 ambulances and converted into well equipped Obstetric ambulances for transportation of pregnant women at a cost of R5.9 million to be launched before the end of the financial year.
We have recorded a decrease in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV from 8.5% in 2008, to 2.7% in 2013. We have implemented the first phase of the National Health Insurance, also seen the Implementation of Primary Health Care (PHC) Re-engineering.
The caregivers have increased from 5 330 active care givers appointed in 2009 to 6439 in 2013. This has improved the frequency of house visit to 1 148 940 for the whole 3013. The total number of patients remaining on Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment has increased from 36 039 in 2009 to 151,589 in 2013. The percentage of HIV-TB Co-infected patients placed on ARV has increased from 38% in 2009 to 73% in 2013. The province has seen a 50% decline in the number of aged 0-4 years who acquired HIV between 2006 and 2011.
Fellow citizens,
New Health facilities are being built as well as the upgrading of the old ones. The facilities maintenance audit which was done under the hospital revitalization projects at Moses Kotane, Joe Morolong Memorial (Vryburg), Swartruggens and Brits hospitals confirms that we have spend over R1,2 billion on these completed facilities. Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital which is under construction in Mahikeng will also cost us over R482 million.
Honourable Speaker,
In addition to the facilities, we have completed seventeen (17) clinics and seven (7) Community Health Centres since 2009. Ten (10) Primary Health Care Facilities have also received essential upgrade from 2011 to 2013. The maintenance programme is fully underway in a number of the facilities. In 2009, we had forty (40) emergency medical rescue vehicles and have since then bought one hundred and thirty (130) additional ambulances as part of efforts to improve quality emergency medical services.
We have increased the number of medical doctor trainees from 10 in 2009 to 110 in 2003 and have recruited our highest number of 180 trainees to be sent to Cuba on a budget of R36 million this year.
Baagi ba Bokone Bophirima,
It will be recalled that the year 2009 followed on the footsteps of the 2008 World Economic Crisis which is viewed as one of the worst international financial crisis since the World Great Depression of 1929 and 1930. We took solace and encouragement from the former President, Thabo Mbeki, when he said “gloom and despondency have never defeated adversity. Indeed, trying times need courage and resilience. Our strength as a people is not always tested during the best of times, but rather when the times are harder. We therefore should never become despondent because today the weather is bad, nor turn triumphalist tomorrow because the sun shines”.
The North West economy accounts for 6,01% of the South African Economy (in terms of the current Rand (R) Value Of Goods and Services produced in the Province. The mainstay of the economy of the Province is mining which contributes averagely 39% to the Gross Domestic Product and provides jobs for a quarter of its workforce followed by agriculture. The mining sector has shown a steady growth since 2008 and this could largely be as a result of the growing demand for commodities internationally.
Honourable Speaker, we have a good story to tell in tourism. Statistics South Africa indicates that in the last five calendar years from 2009, the international tourist arrivals figures increased by an average of 9, 6% per annum. We had created a total of 38 754 jobs as at 31 December 2013 in the tourism, agro processing, manufacturing, green economy, retail, service and social economy sectors which is inclusive of youth, women and people with disabilities activities.
Fifteen (15) new tourist products were established and the tourism investment value is now estimated at R10 billion, Tourism which contributes about 4% of the provincial GDP generated R2.2 billion during 2012.
For the past five years, the province supported 1144 SMMEs, 81 cooperatives, 40 Economic development projects in municipalities and 28 capacity building and interventions. One hundred and eighty-three (183) SMMEs benefitted from first phase development, capacity building, Market access and exposure to industry in the past financial year. Women, youth and people with disability were beneficiaries in Seventy-three (73) economic development programmes which were rolled out. From these efforts, we are proud to report that the province scoped the 2010/2011 Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year (ETEYA) award.
Madikwe Buy Back Centre in Moses Kotane Local Municipality and the Enterprise Information Centre in Ratlou Local Municipality were completed at a cost of R5, 2 million.
An additional R3.2 million was also allocated for the construction of small industries within Dr Kenneth Kaunda District. The Madikwe Sisal Project towards which we have spent R10, 5 million has commenced production with 50 workers.
Honourable Members,
The Hotel School Division student’s enrolment has been increasing and stakeholders have shown interest in sponsoring students with bursaries such as Anglo American, the Peermont Group and the National Department of Tourism among others to the value of R1.8 million. Twenty-one (21) of our students got placement opportunities to do their internships training to acquire industry experience overseas and this has yielded results.
Mafikeng Hotel School won the coveted productivity SA Gold Trophy award as being an outstanding Public Sector organization in productivity in the province. It also achieved “4 Star” grading status from Tourism Grading Council of South Africa. We also secured R4.6 million private funding for the construction of a brand new state of the art library facility for the School and as an investment to our tourism sector, we made the acquisition of the Tusk Taung Hotel and conference to establish a new Hotel School.
Honourable Members,
We have merged of the three of our entities namely North West Development Corporation (NWDC), Mafikeng Industrial Development Zone (MIDZ) and Invest North West (INW). This is in response to the recommendations of the Presidential Review Committee on SOEs. The new entity is charged with the responsibility of economic development, growth, trade and investment promotion enterprise development and related priorities of the province. The new CEO has been appointed to allow for effective functionality and stability in the new entity.
Honourable speaker, Taung and Tlokwe Light Industrial Parks are now functional and have thus far created 44 jobs. Four Youth cooperatives were established at Naledi and Matlosana Municipalities at a cost of R 5m. The SMME Unit has between April 2013 and December 2013 given 109 loans amounting to seventeen million, seven hundred and eighty seven thousand rand (R17,787m) which have created 290 jobs.
Fellow citizens,
Agriculture remains one of the key drivers of our provincial economy and continues to employ a substantial number of our people. Farming must help us ensure food security in the battle against poverty.
Through our Food Security Strategy, Kgora, we are registering remarkable success in identifying and assisting households to move from destitute to a life above the breadline. Kgora food security is a pilot project in food security as in December 2013 it has more than 50 families benefiting from it, we have donated to people living with HIV/AIDS and this project is supplying the local Pick an Pay retail store.
We want to replicate this pilot project to other regions in province. The project has received recognition by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in 2013 as a project that demonstrated sustainable systems for food security.Kgora is another success story in the province, as its been refurbished and repositioned. It has also obtained accreditation though Agri –SETA. To date 415 farmers were provided with training.
Honourable members,
The North West Province is the first province in the country where the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) was launched and Provincial CAADP Team established. The comprehensive assessment has already been conducted on the rehabilitation of the Kraaipan, Springbokpan and Vryhof silos.
We have secured funding from Treasury to rehabilitate the Springbokpan grain silo and the process is already underway.
We have since the inception of this project in 2012, distributed a total of 161 mechanization packages to 716 qualifying smallholder farmers in the Province and planted over 31 854 hectares of grain crops.
We have since the delivery of the first batch of the Nguni cows in 2007, distributed a total of 65 bulls and 1 665 breeding cows to qualifying farmers in the Province. Twelve (12) sites which received the cows during its first year of the pilot phase, have during the 2012/13 financial year, returned the 144 loaned cows with each site returning 12 cows as part of the project conditions.
Honourable Speaker, it is common knowledge that parts of our Province, especially in Ngaka Modiri Molema and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati districts, has experienced drought conditions as a result of below normal rainfall for the past year. The province has spent 43.5 million supplying 850 tons to 1206 farmers managing save potential 16 513 livestock. We have provided water reticulation to assist 23 230 farmers.
We have a partnership with Rhodes University to roll out aquaculture throughout the province to the small scale fisheries programme in the six dams across the province (Spitskop, Taung, Disaneng, Lotlamoreng, Molatedi, and Ngotwane). The aquaculture training facility is being established in Kgora farming centre for completion in 2014.
Honourable Speaker,
Growth path framework and the National Development Plan (NDP) have identified infrastructure as one of the key drivers for job creation and poverty eradication. We created an estimated 26 000 job opportunities in the period 2009 to 2012/13.
The Community Works Programme has created 41659 work opportunities in the current financial year.
Public Works infrastructure:
The Vryburg Mini-Garona was completed in April 2012, Garona Phase 1 & 2 (work space projects), Old Parliament phase 2, Ganyesa District Office, Moretele Office Park, Potchefstroom Agriculture College, CIDB Contact Centre was completed in 2011, Lowe residences (renovations), Mmabatho Civic Centre (renovations) and Mmabatho Convention Centre (renovations).
We have also implemented the Boikagong Combined Child and Youth Centre, Itsoseng Handicraft Housing Units, Mafikeng and Klerksdorp Secure Care Centres, Vryburg Victim Empowerment Centre.
As promised before, Mafikeng Airport Replacement of the Instrument Landing System and Ground Lighting System and the runway has been rejuvenated. The project of turning Mahikeng Airport into logistics hub is about to be launched.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Province through the Department of Public Works and Roads manages a road network with a length of 20 979 in km which is broken down as follows: Paved Roads: 6125 km; Unpaved Roads: 14, 854 km. The National Road network that is managed by SANRAL is estimated at 1324 km. Municipalities also take care of road infrastructure within their areas of jurisdiction.
Ladies and gentlemen,
While 100 532,94 kilometers of gravel roads were paved during the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 financial year, we have carried out and are continuing with the construction of no less than 39 roads projects throughout the province.
Projects completed in the past year include the D114 between Boshoek and Pella (Groot Marico) via Lindleyspoort., D623 from Swartdam to Makapanstad (12 km), D215 from Manthe to Cokonyane (14km) and D39 in Mooifontein including 2Km beyond police camp in Mooifontein.
Seventeen fast track patch and reseal projects which are being implemented on a design and construct basis in all four of our districts, as part of the as-and-when maintenance contracts across the province.
No less than 1500 people were employed on roads projects that also engaged the services of numerous local subcontractors during the current financial year. This grass roots level engagement with communities and local businesses where projects are being implemented provides much needed economic opportunities to our people.
Seven (7) projects which will contribute to the ongoing improvements in service delivery in the roads sector across the province during the 2014/15 financial year are at procurement stage.
Honourable Speaker, the handover of our road construction projects to SANRAL has realised us a savings of over R1 billion and allowed us to deal with some of our priority road projects and also improve on the quality roads delivered.
Honourable Speaker
The 2011 Census Report indicates that good progress has been registered in increasing the numbers of households with access to clean running water, sanitation facilities and electricity. We have made progress, we are aware that more still needs to be done.
As part of the commitment made to the people of the North West, the Premier’s Legacy Projects seek to meet the municipalities halfway in the delivery of basic services.
We have a backlog in sanitation of 312 022, an amount of R150m has been set aside through Premier Legacy Project to reduce backlog in sanitation by end of March 2014. We have reduced the backlog by 12, 314 sanitation facilities shared among the four (4) District Municipalities. 2500 rain water tanks will be distributed to the areas with less average rainfall. 56 boreholes are constructed and will be ready by the end of the 2013/14 financial year. This will assist municipalities in having access to clean water.
To elaborate we are in partnership with Department of Water Affairs and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality to construct the Dinokana Water Supply Phase 2 at Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality. The Project amount is twenty one million, four hundred and sixty eight rand and seventy four cents (R 21, 468, 289, 74). The completion date is the 29th November 2014.
The Mafikeng South Regional Water Supply Scheme with benefit Majemantsho, Setlopo, Dithakong and Lomanyaneng villages. The main objective of this project is to address the issue of low pressure in the system to ensure that all the villages get sufficient water at the right pressure. The contractual amount of the project is twenty one million, eight hundred and one thousands and two hundred and thirty seven rand (R21 801 237). The intended completion phase date is 14 March 2014. The Mafikeng Rural Sanitation Phase 4 contract is part of this.
The Setlagole Bulk Water Supply commenced on the 01 November 2013 and will be completed on 30 October 2014. This is a R22 000 000 project.
Over and above these projects we have signed memorandum of understanding with the Department of Water Affairs and Human Settlement to the value of R2 Billion in January to accelerate the provisioning of clean water and sanitation. The employ of disabled people are priorities.
The project also seeks to leave a legacy in a maximised number of skills to be transferred to the local labourers in capacitating them with the ability to grow the trade. Training will focus on the following activities; pipe laying, concrete works, health & safety, managerial and supervision skills.
Honourable Members,
Approximately 73 146 households have benefitted through the human settlements programme since 2009/10 financial year hitherto with the largest being Bojanala and Dr Kenneth Kaunda District has the highest in basic services. The need to provide affordable rental stock is a priority to the province.
As a result of our painstaking work, the NW Department of Human Settlements was recognised as the best performing department at National Govan Mbeki awards in 2013.
We have received additional funding from national government. We have started with registration process and we want to encourage our people to register. We must unblock the blocked projects and rebuild the sub-standard houses.
We are making a great difference in the lives of many people who have been waiting for years to get houses. The provision of shelter to our people is an obligation that we will continue to realise without any excuse. The programme of giving our people houses has proven to be one of the most fundamental interventions in the history of rolling out services to our people.
The above-mentioned services have been common denominators in the majority of service delivery protests. We cannot condone a situation wherein government responds only when citizens take to the streets in protests for basic services.
We are aware that most of the protests are about the integration of services by various spheres of government, the quality of municipal services, the quality of leadership provided by all spheres of government, the extent to which government plans address objective challenges faced by our people, our ability to use public participation for us to have a firm grasp of the concerns and frustrations of our people and opportunism from those who hijack genuine community concerns and use them to advance their own agendas.
Whilst we remain united in discouraging violent protests and wanton destruction of property, we should also ensure that the performance instruments which civil servants enter into with their principals hold them responsible for the successes and failures in the areas at which they are expected to serve our people. Each Department and municipality should be able to demonstrate the measures it took to address community concerns and frustrations before they take the forms of protests.
It is my considered opinion that where proper and objective planning, implementation and requisite follow-ups are made, people become partners with their government to improve their own lives.
Where the social distance between the people and the government increases; where the leaders who are drawn from the same communities act indifferently once into elected office; the attitude of the people will certainly change for the worst. The North West Province can, based on these experiences, serve as a better teacher for the rest of the country only if it can put such lessons to better use.
Honourable Speaker,
The Community Works Programme or Non-state sector within EPWP has participants involved in their wards to support food gardens, ECDs, (Early Childhood Development) School support programme, Waste Management, and Infrastructure development, was implemented in 13 Local Municipalities (Moretele, Madibeng, Rustenburg, Moses Kotane, Ratlou, Mafikeng, Ramotshere Moiloa, Tswaing, Naledi, Greater Taung, Kagisano–Molopo, Ventersdorp and Maquassi Hill) which were able to create 16 703 jobs as at December 2013.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The number of funded Home Community Based Care (HCBC) and Drop-in centers we have having for the past years stand at 309 and 65 respectively.
In 2009 we targeted to assist 105 844 orphaned and vulnerable children. We have since exceeded that target and we are at 244 186 and those who receive food parcels, school uniform and other material support is at 301 473.
Honourable speaker, the Province has made some remarkable progress in many areas of its work; it has also addressed social illness amongst communities and alleviated poverty through several social development programmes. A total of 26 300 jobs were created.
As part of our mandate to eradicate poverty we have profiled 69 169 households; out of with 15 469 households benefiting from the poverty alleviation programme, and also funded 88 cooperatives/projects and 1054 young people are linked to the National Youth Service (NYS).
Social development through the social sector for the past five years 53 420 job opportunities were created against a target of 18 320. Furthermore 15 465 job opportunities have been planned for 2014/2015 financial year through EPWP as well as infrastructure development, green economy and social economy. This contribution was through infrastructure projects, social cooperatives, skills development projects (National Youth Service, Masupatsela and Youth Pioneer Programme) and jobs created through NGOs.
Fellow Citizens, We have good story to tell regarding development of our young people.
For this term we have sponsored 1, 035 youth through the Provincial Bursary Programmes during the period 2009/10 – 31 December 2013 at the expense of R49, 488 million. A total number of 213 bursary beneficiaries graduated in various scarce skills needed by the Province.
In addition, we have also registered 3, 833 unemployed youth in other skills development programmes such as Learnerships, Internships and Apprenticeship during the same period. All these interventions were in line with Outcomes 5 and 12 of the Medium Term Strategic Framework and other government Human Resource Development policies and strategies. In total 4, 868 unemployed youth and graduates benefited from the Provincial skills development and training programmes that were targeting youth.
We want to thank the mining qualification authority in offering 60 students to further their studies in the mining engineering in 2014.
Honourable Speaker,
Heritage facilities were constructed, namely, Gathulo Rock engravings, Setlhwatlhwe, Kraaipan Museum and Seolong Museum were some of the facilities established. The provincial government has also assisted communities to identify local heritage sites and these will be evaluated to establish their real heritage credentials.
We have increased access to libraries by building libraries in Ipeleng (Tlokwe), Mphebatho (Moretele), Dryharts Container Library (Taung), Dithakwaneng (Naledi), Lebaleng (Maquassie Hills), Rebecca Nkoe Thulo (Matlosana), letsopa (Tswaing), Mogwase (Moses Kotane), Pudimoe (Greater Taung).
The Mobile library service was introduced in 2008 allowing us to extended library services to communities which are far from existing service points. Additional three (3) buses were acquired in 2012/13 to expand the Mobile Library services reach more communities in rural and areas that are far and cannot access existing library services.
We have introduced toy library service in community libraries in support of early learning development (ECD). Eighty seven (87) community libraries have established toy library services to date.
The multisport facilities at Ipelegeng and Manthe in the Dr Ruth Mompati districts are near completion. Itsoseng, Mmabatho, Lehurutshe and Dinokana stadia have been upgraded and will be handed to the communities in 2014.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The complexities of social challenges have increased the demand for human settlements intervention and inadvertently this has resulted in an increased demand for housing delivery. We have contributed to the presidential War on Poverty Campaign by building 300 units in Mokgalwaneng, 19 of 21 units were also built in Greater Taung Local Municipality (Manthe village).
Honourable Speaker,
The Province has moved progressively towards implementation of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 which is aimed at reducing deaths and injuries across the world.
Our analysis for the past five years shows that most of the contributory factors to the loss of lives on our roads were due to reckless and negligent driving. Our statistics of accidents resulting in fatalities show a decrease of 25% over the past five years from 940 in 2009 to 748 in 2013.
As part of the drive to increase visibility on the roads; the Province has increased traffic officers from about 550 to estimate of about 750 including municipal in the past 5 years. It is intended to have this number to 1200 by 2018 and to ensure that we provide a 24hour traffic service to our community and to ensure that our roads are continuously policed. Furthermore, as part of our law enforcement strategies; specialised teams has been established i.e Jaws, the Highway Patrol and Speed Teams which are full in operation.
Honourable members,
In the property crimes category robberies at both business and houses dominate. The primary targets are foreign nationals. Stock theft also features as a high crime in this category with both commercial and subsistence farmers being the target. It is for this reason that a pilot stock theft project has been launched in hotspots to stabilize and reduce this crime due to its direct impact on the economy of the province.
The theft of non-ferrous metals, especially copper cables contributes significantly also in the property crimes category.
Honourable members, over the past 14 years South Africa has experienced an exponential increase in incidence of rhino poaching. We have developed Rhino Poaching Priority Crime Committee constituted by various Security Agencies, as well the Department of economic development and the parks board towards combating, reducing and eliminating Rhino poaching in the North West Province. A total of 91 Rhinos were poached. 26 twenty six (26) successful arrests were made.
Honourable Speaker,
For two consecutive years the municipalities have indeed submitted their annual financial statements in time as per MFMA prescripts. We continue to support municipalities through the Municipal Finance Management Improvement Programme (MFMIP).
Our Provincial Treasury has now extended its hands on support to the Departments and Entities and the project is progressing well. We have implemented the quarterly submission of Financial Statement by the Provincial Departments to improve the quality of submission of financial statement at the end of the year also the Monthly compliance checklists.
Honourable Speaker,
Four municipalities has been placed by the Provincial executive council under section 139 namely; Matlosana, Ditsobotla, Maquassie Hills and Madibeng Local Municipality having considered the collapse of administrative resulting in the slow pace of service delivery to the communities.
For the past three financial years, (4) four Departments received unqualified audit opinions and for 2012/13 financial year (5) five Departments received unqualified audit opinions and (4) Departments received qualified audit opinions. As part of our mandate we are still confident that we will achieve clean audit for all the departments and Entities by 2014.
Baagi Ba Bokone Bophirima
The Commission for Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims (CTLDC) has received 102 traditional leadership disputes and claims and 33 cases have been finalised whilst 69 remaining cases are at various stages and will be completed in the next two years thereby ensuring that the rightful heirs and traditional leaders are appropriately recognised.
The following traditional council’s offices were completed and handed over to improve infrastructure for Dikgosi and our communities and enhance efficiency of their operations.
Barokologadi ba ga Kgosi Maotwe in Pitsi disulejang, Barolong ba ga Seitshiro baga Kgosi Moshoete in Ga-Khunoana and Barolong ba ga Makgobi baga Kgosi Motsewakhumo in Makgobistad.
The plans and designs for the construction of the offices for Barolong baga Tlou le Tau baga Kgosi Letlhogile in Ganyesa have been completed and construction will commence in the next financial year.
It should also be noted the North West proposal on the tools of trade was used as a benchmark by the National COGTA to provide for the National norms and standards in an effort to improve the working conditions of traditional leaders.
Honourable Members,
In order to improve the IGR in the Province, the following interventions have been put in place terms of reference for improvement of coordination of IGR Structures have been completed.
Honourable Speaker,
Though much has been achieved, more is yet to be done. As we took our oath in this house, pledging our loyalty to the Supreme Law of the land, we indirectly surrendered our lives to the fulfilment of the ideals for which our forebears died. We made a commitment to stop at nothing to ensure that the status quo is changed for the better.
The marks of leadership reside in the depth of the legacy which they make. Whilst the current generation might have the ability to sponsor its input on the role played by the leadership of its own time, it would also be able to discharge such a responsibility guided by the role and impact which such a leadership would have made in their environment.
Inspired by the passion we share regarding the adjusting of the social conditions within which our people live, we locked horns as we try to find better understanding from the subtle and so explicit areas of agreement and disagreement amongst fellow discussants. We tore each others arguments apart and still ensured that we left the person behind the argument intact so that from his or her wise counsel can still improve our understanding of the vexing challenges which we are confronted with on a daily basis.
In the words of former President Mandela “a good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don’t have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial and uninformed”.
Honourable members,
Whilst it remains true that we have been drawn from different parties we all serve the people of the North West. I am grateful that even at the most trying moments we have not dishonoured the pledge we made to put the North West and South Africa first.
Thank you, honourable members for the opportunity to serve the North West Province with you.
We want to thank our faith based organisations in their collaborations with government in their role in the anti- corruption, anti-rape, and their stance against domestic violence and women abuse. Thank you for always putting our government and the country in your prayers.
I have been honoured to lead the men and women heading the administration of this province. Heads of departments, senior management – Salute. I have been hard at some of you but equally impressed by most of you for your commitment and insights. Le ka moso.
I have been privileged to serve with men and women in the provincial EXCO who never said anything is “not do-able” or seen any challenge as insurmountable or that any endeavour to better the lives of our people was not worth pursuing. We have shared a common conviction to stand firm for the protection of the state, the infirm and the vulnerable.
If we have made enemies, we have also made a thousand times more citizens believe in the triumph of good over evil.
I have been honoured by my organisation, the people’s movement, the ANC, to serve the people of the North West and South Africa
Let me close by the words of the President of the republic Jacob Zuma and I quote “As a country we have scored many successes. South Africa is a much better place to live in now than it was before 1994. We continue to face challenges. But life will also continue to change for the better”.
I thank you!
Ke a leboga!
