Madame Speaker
Honourable Deputy Speaker
Honourable Members
We have requested this opportunity to speak to the legislature about the performance of the Gauteng Provincial Government in the first quarter of the financial year 2010 - 2011.This is in keeping with the commitment we made to the people of Gauteng that we would report regularly on the implementation of the government Programme of Action.
During the State of the Province Address, we presented an overview of the government Programme of Action and later the MECs presented the details of the programme during the budget votes of their respective departments. The government Programme of Action has been developed within the context of Outcomes-based Performance Management approach that has been adopted as a tool for improving government performance.
The programme of action is structured according to eight politically agreed outcomes which are:
- Quality basic education;
- A long and healthy life for all South Africans;
- Decent employment through inclusive economic growth;
- All people in South Africa are and feel safe;
- Vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities contributing towards food security;
- Sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life;
- Responsive, accountable, efficient and effective local government system; and
- An efficient, effective and development oriented public service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship.
Education is our top priority and to this end we have placed quality basic education at the top of our outcomes list.
We said that our interventions would start at the foundation stage of education to ensure that our children are well-prepared to develop and succeed in the later stages of their education.In this regard, we have already made impressive progress in the first quarter.
The Executive Council has approved the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Framework together with its implementation plan. Three hundred and eighty four (384) new ECD sites have been registered to cater for more children since the beginning of the year.Another 284 sites will be registered before the end of the current financial year.More than 800 practitioners received accredited training with 386 receiving level 1 training and 504 receiving level 4 training.As part of our efforts to achieve universal access to Grade R by 2014 the government has granted subsidies to 2 641 ECD institutions.
We have adopted the Gauteng Primary Literacy Strategy and it is already being implemented with the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership, managing the Further Education level component.
The pre-feasibility study for residential facilities for learners in Magaliesburg was done and the design models have been developed.A public meeting was held in Magaliesburg on 24 April 2010 to consult with the residents and other stakeholders about the project.The project has been approved and handed over to the Department of Infrastructure Development for implementation.
The following 10 new schools are in various development stages with all of them scheduled for completion before the end of 2010: Thulasizwe Primary School, Simunye Primary School, Sikhulisile Primary School, Sakhisizwe Secondary School, Rietvallei Primary School, Polokong Primary School, Katlehong Primary School, Diepsloot Secondary School, Bronkhorstspruit Primary School and Winnie Mandela Primary School.
Once completed, the new schools will increase capacity and alleviate the problem of overcrowding currently experienced in some of our schools.
In working towards achieving the outcome of a long and healthy life for all, our efforts have focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our healthcare system, providing primary healthcare services in poor communities, reducing mortality rates and stepping up the fight against HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis (TB).
In February during the state of the Province Address, we promised to implement measures to end long queues at our hospitals and clinics and extend service hours.
We have extended service hours in seven (7) more clinics in the Johannesburg district, bringing the total number of clinics with extended service hours to 84.Johan Heyns Community Health Centre started operating 24 hours from July 2010.Two more clinics - Chiawelo and Zola are set to open for 24 hours during the second quarter of the 2010 - 2011 financial year, while Sharpeville and Eersterust Community Health Centres are expected to open for 24 hours in the last quarter.
The Executive Council approved a plan to reduce maternal and infant mortality in Gauteng.The plan responds to key factors responsible for maternal deaths such as non-pregnancy related infections, including HIV and AIDS; obstetric haemorrhage, hypertension and pre-existing medical conditions.
The programme for the prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of AIDS through antiretroviral treatment is being expanded to ensure that all pregnant women can access the service.All antenatal facilities in Gauteng offer the prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV services.
We have implemented the Basic Ante-Natal Care (BANC) programme, which enables early recognition of pre-existing medical conditions and early treatment to save both the mother and the child.
More health workers are being trained in perinatal care on an ongoing basis to ensure that they have the skills to perform deliveries and neonatal resuscitation.Emergency ambulance services (obstetric ambulances) are in place for referral of pregnant women with foetal distress to higher level of care.
Early booking and the initiation of regular ante-natal care is encouraged to help prevent immaturity-related problems and pre-term labour. Currently, only 25% of expectant mothers book before 20 weeks of pregnancy.This percentage has to improve if we are to succeed in saving the lives of premature babies.
All our districts now provide immunization for children at age one at all Primary Health Care facilities.Ninety one percent of all children under the age of one have been immunised against polio.
We have made impressive progress towards meeting our target to improve TB cure rate to 80% in 2010 with the current level standing at 79.6%. There is still a 5% default rate which we aim to address by increasing public campaign through door-to-door programme and other programmes.
The HIV and AIDS campaign continues to gain momentum with more people responding to the call to test for HIV.Since the 1st of April up to the beginning of August 2010, more than 500 000 people had taken the HIV test.While we are very happy with this figure, we will be stepping up the campaign to get more people test so that we can meet our target of 3-million people by the end of June 2011. Our campaign will be intensified at shopping malls, public events, taxi ranks, hostels and other public places.
We have made significant progress in our efforts to ensure that all people are and feel safe.
The Executive Council has approved the Gauteng Provincial Policing Needs and Priority Plan which aims to improve the effectiveness of the police in dealing with crime, especially priority crimes.There has been improved co-ordination between all the police forces - the SAPS, provincial traffic police and the metropolitan police.The experience gained in the 2010 FIFA World Cup which saw all the forces working together under the single command of the SAPS will be carried forward to improve effectiveness.
Good progress has been recorded in the fight against social crime. Through the Victim Empowerment Centres we have continued to provide support to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.In measuring crime perception, a total of 110 survivors of sexual offences have been interviewed as part of the study on victim satisfaction.
Preliminary results indicate that 88% of the victims surveyed were satisfied with the services offered by Ikhaya Lethemba.
Youth Crime Prevention Desks are being established in all police stations to provide specialised services focussing on drug awareness, child safety awareness, house numbering and street surveillance. Madame Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to congratulate Lieutenant General Mzwandile Petros on his appointment as the new Provincial head of the South African Police Service in Gauteng.We welcome him to his new post with warm hands and assure him of our full co-operation in the fight against crime.
On the outcome of decent employment through inclusive economic growth, our intervention has focussed on creating an environment that encourages growth in the mainstream economy while at the same time taking steps to support the growth of small, medium and micro enterprises and the co-operative sector.
We have adopted the Gauteng Employment Growth and Development Strategy and a number of subsidiary strategies including the Maize Triangle Strategy, Transport and Logistics Strategy, the Co-operatives Strategy, as well as the broad-based economic empowerment strategy.
Our continued support for the automotive industry has seen major interventions which resulted in the retention of jobs and the creation of new opportunities.We welcome an announcement in December last year by the Ford Motor Company about a multi-billion rand investment to expand capacity at its Silverton plant to produce more vehicles for export markets.
This decision is a further expression of confidence in the future of the South African economy, and Gauteng in particular. More importantly, it confirms the correctness of our decision to invest public money to support the growth of the automotive industry in Gauteng.The Gauteng Provincial Government has committed an amount of R105 million which will be spent on the building of a supplier park in Silverton, skills development and support to previously disadvantaged suppliers.
The Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) has already commenced with the skills development programme with 300 new recruits of the Ford Motor Company having completed training.
On 8 June, the Gautrain started ferrying passengers between Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport.On that day, I had the honour to board a train that was driven by a very proud young African woman, Nomzamo Zitha - the first woman Gautrain driver and one of a number of women employed by Gautrain.There couldn't have been a better timing for the commencement of service for Gautrain than a few days before the start of the World Cup when there were high volumes of passengers travelling between the OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton.
Gautrain introduced quicker, safer and more convenient means of transport to our public transport system.The high numbers of passengers who are using Gautrain on a daily basis confirm the strategic importance of this project to our province.Gautrain had a total of 614 896 passengers during the first two months of its operation - 283 552 in June and 331 344 in July.Construction on the second phase of the project is progressing on schedule and we are on course to operate a full service of Gautrain in 2011.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup we had an opportunity to test our public transport system and it proved to be very reliable, safe and efficient.
The vast majority of the fans who attended the World Cup matches in Gauteng used public transport in the form of trains, buses and taxis to travel between their residences and stadiums, and they arrived on time and safe.
From the World Cup experience; it is clear that while some of the aspects of an integrated public transport system are still being developed, the core building blocks of this system are in place.
At a meeting of the Premier's Coordinating Forum it was agreed that Gauteng must build on the success of the World Cup to encourage more use of the existing public transport.The Department of Roads and Transport will be working with municipalities and the national government to find ways in which we can maximise the use of the available public transport.
In some cases all we need to do is market the facilities more aggressively and provide information to potential users.
Following successes in the previous year we have made further advances in the development of co-operatives in Gauteng.Since April this year an additional 12 co-operatives, all of them formed by women, have been awarded contracts by the Department of Health and Social Development to provide a range of goods and services in public hospitals.
The Executive Council has approved a Gauteng Co-operative Strategy which seeks to facilitate the growth of co-operatives in the province by offering support in business development, marketing and capacity building.
The Gauteng Provincial Government's procurement database has been expanded to include co-operatives as preferred providers of goods and services in terms of the government preferential procurement policy.
The development of women entrepreneurs continues to receive serious attention by the government.A total of 198 groups of women have been awarded contracts to produce and supply 80 000 sets of school uniform to deserving schools.
Our support for small, micro and medium enterprises has led to the growth of more companies in the province.Through the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller we have funded nine SMME companies to the value of R5.9 million.A further 188 companies received tailored business development support while 579 companies received general business training.
Special programmes targeting youth employment and skills development are being implemented in a number of departments. Through the Expanded Public Works Programme, we have already enrolled 549 young people who are working on a range of projects. Many other young people benefit from learnership programmes, internships and artisan development programmes.
In addition, young people who start their own businesses are given preferential status in the government procurement.Companies owned by youth will also receive special support in business development and management and access to markets.
We have made good progress towards vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities contributing towards food security for all.
The Gauteng Rural Development Strategy and the Gauteng Agriculture Development Strategy have been approved by the Executive Council and are now at various implementation stages.
As part of the Farmer Skill Development Plan, 12 farmers have been trained on vegetable production; advisory services to enhance on farm production were provided to 36 land reform beneficiaries; 17 land reform beneficiaries were trained on record keeping and 16 hydroponics farmers have been trained on hydroponics production.
The roll-out of food gardens with selected beneficiaries has seen 3 new community food gardens being developed.Existing community food garden beneficiaries continue to produce food from their gardens for own consumption and where they produce surplus they sell them in the markets. Two hundred and eleven (211) gardens were maintained in June 2010 in all household food security regions (90 in Randfontein, 74 in Germiston, 47 in Pretoria).
The Agriculture Cooperative Plan 2010-2014 has been developed in support of the agricultural cooperatives with production processes and marketing.So far 17 commodity based co-operatives received training. Regarding matters of equitable land reform, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in partnership with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, has secured14 land parcels (farms) and these are currently being registered in the names of the targeted recipients.
Efforts in support of land tenure review and sustainable land reform have seen ongoing agricultural economic support for business development, access to finance and economic viability studies mainly for Land and Agrarian Reform beneficiaries.Support measures provided to land reform recipients in this quarter include extension and advisory services provided to 36 land reform beneficiaries, visits to 54 farms and conducting commodity study group sessions with 13 land reform beneficiaries.
Farmers and communities continue to receive training on animal health for disease control.This quarter, eleven study group meetings were held for farmers in Emfuleni, Ekurhuleni, Midvaal, Nokeng tsa Taemane and Tshwane. More than 5 700 animals (cattle, sheep, goats, poultry and pets) were vaccinated in the past quarter.
As part of training opportunities for each of the agricultural programmes, some progress has been made in areas that include the policy on the Protection of High Potential Agricultural Land.A summit was held between farmers and farm workers and a social compact document on rural development imperatives, including empowerment, advice and other support mechanisms, is currently being drafted.
Last week Monday we launched the Lufhereng housing project - one of the biggest integrated human settlement development projects in Gauteng. The Lufhereng project will provide 24 000 housing units which will benefit people from Greater Soweto including Protea South and Doornkop.
In line with our new approach to human settlement development, the project will comprise various types of units to cater for the poor as well as those in the income bracket of R3 500 - R10 000. This income group had fallen through the cracks during the past 15 years and could not benefit from the government housing programmes. They did not qualify for giveaway houses while at the same time financial institutions refused to grant them home loans.
Lufhereng is one of the many projects we are implementing towards the outcome of sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life.
Development of 37 more projects under the mixed housing development programme has commenced in various parts of the province.During the past quarter 153 serviced stands have been allocated and 300 houses were completed.An additional 3 064 houses and 2 446 serviced stands have been allocated to beneficiaries.
Support for Infrastructure Master Planning has seen plans for Kungwini, Nokeng, and Metsweding being funded by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) while other municipalities are currently revising their master plans.
A responsive, accountable, efficient and effective local government system is of essential importance in our efforts to develop our communities and improve the lives of the people.
The Department of Local Government and Housing has been working with municipalities on the development of Integrated Development Plans - IDPs - and their integration into the provincial Programme of Action.As part of the IDP engagement process, sector departments were further engaged on the support needed by municipalities on the implementation of their programme.
Nine municipalities have submitted reports on the functioning of their Ward Committees. The local government Skills Development and Capacity-Building Strategy and Implementation Plan have been approved by the Premier's Coordination Forum.
The second phase of the Revenue Enhancement and Debt Management strategy is at various stages implementation within different municipalities. Support is provided to municipalities to identify, and where possible, recommend how to curb water and electricity losses.
Following a commitment made by all municipalities in Gauteng to improve delivery of basic services a draft document on minimum basic service delivery standards across the province has been done and it is now being discussed by municipalities.The document will be presented to the next meeting of the Premier's Co-ordination for consideration.Once adopted the minimum basic service delivery standards will be published so that the public can monitor the performance of government in the delivery of basic services.
The eighth outcome of our programme of action is an efficient, effective and development-oriented public service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship.
We have concluded the reconfiguration of the Gauteng Provincial Government - which was done to ensure that government is appropriately organised to achieve its strategic objectives with greater integration and alignment between different strategic focus areas.
The reconfiguration has laid a solid structural foundation and created an environment for the government to deliver on its developmental mandate. The reconfigured Gauteng Government will transform the Gauteng public service towards a more performance oriented, outcomes driven and people focussed public service.
All vacancies of heads of department which were created as a result of the reconfiguration have now been filled and departments are now firmly focussed on the implementation of the government Programme of Action. Good progress has been seen regarding improvement of financial management in the province.Measures introduced last year, including the withdrawal of financial delegations from lower-ranked managers, remain in place.All departments follow stricter procurement process which allows CFOs to manage budgets more effectively.
The improvement in the financial management and controls will be more evident when departments table their annual reports to the Legislature. Some departments which previously had adverse audit findings or qualified audit opinions will show great improvement when the reports are published.
The Department of Finance continues to prepare monthly and quarterly expenditure reports to the Executive Council to flag areas of concern and assist the Executive in monitoring expenditure.
In ascertaining the institutional capacity of the Gauteng Provincial Government, the GCRA conducted a Skills Audit and feedback is currently being communicated to departments.
Madame Speaker, promoting effective communication and deepening democracy are an important element towards the realisation of this outcome an efficient, effective and development-oriented public service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship.
During the past quarter we have continued to engage in programmes that help empower the people to participate in the work of government and promote public participation in democratic processes.
Honourable members, we have noted the ongoing strike by some of our public servants who are in dispute with their employer.While we recognise the right of workers to engage in labour action, we find it very unfortunate that some of the striking workers have intimidated and harassed their non-striking colleagues – including those involved in essential services to join the strike.Some of the strikers disrupted services in schools and hospitals, putting lives in serious danger.
Yesterday when I visited some of the hospitals that were severely affected by the strike I was told shocking stories of 53 premature babies who were left unattended when striking workers forced nursing staff to leave their posts.Some of the babies were literally locked in the wards with no one bothering to make alternative arrangements for their care.
We all respect the right for workers to strike but they must also respect the Constitutional right for these babies to live.
Government is very heartened by the volunteers, including professionals who selflessly offered their services to care for those in need when the striking government workers abandoned their posts.From the bottom of our hearts we say thank you for what you are doing to help us through this difficult period.We also wish to thank the workers who risked their lives to report for duty and care for the public.
We also wish to express our gratitude to the Garden City Clinic and other private hospitals for rescuing and accommodating the babies and for continuing to look after them during this most delicate stage of their lives.
As a responsible and caring government we had to take appropriate steps to ensure continued operations in the hospitals and other service points. We will continue to do everything within our powers to ensure that our schools, hospitals and other service delivery institutions continue to function.
Madame Speaker, the successful hosting of the World Cup has once again proved to the world what we have all known that South Africa has both the capacity and capability to host big global events.We have used the opportunity created by the World Cup to display our world class capabilities, skills and ability to deliver.
As we all know, Gauteng hosted 21 out of a total of 64 World Cup matches - including the opening match and the final.Eighteen of the 32 participating teams, including Bafana Bafana, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, United States of America, Argentina, finalists Netherlands among others had their base camps in Gauteng.Gauteng had the highest number of attendance with 1 287 427 having attended the matches at Gauteng's three match venues - Soccer City, Ellis Park and Loftus Versfeld.Another half a million people watched the matches at the fan parks and public viewing areas.
This placed a huge responsibility on the government to ensure that everything goes well, especially with regards to traffic management, public transport, health and emergency services.With close co-operation between the three spheres of government and the Organising Committee, we fulfilled all our responsibilities and delivered a great World Cup.The volunteers who worked hard every day of the World Cup also made a significant contribution to this success.
For four weeks the world was enthralled by some of the most exhilarating football.Throughout the tournament the stadiums, fan parks, public viewing areas and every part of Gauteng were characterised by a festival mood.
Never before has South Africa received such positive publicity. Hundreds of thousands of visitors who came to our country for the World Cup were exposed to the positive attributes of our country which were always overshadowed by some of our problems and shortcomings.
Even the millions of people who followed the World Cup through the mass media were able to see the better side of our country because of the positive media reports.
Many of the visitors who had the opportunity to spend time in our townships and cities have publicly expressed great appreciation of the warmth and hospitality of our people.
The success of hosting the World Cup will be measured not only on the impact we made during the four weeks of the tournament, but also on the legacy left behind and how that benefits the people.
The greatest legacy of the World Cup is the much needed-public infrastructure.We now have modern stadia which compare with some of the best in the world.We have upgraded our transport infrastructure to meet the needs of Gauteng as the most urbanised and industrialised province of South Africa.We have increased the capacity of our healthcare facilities, including emergency medical services.
The World Cup provided a unique opportunity for us to celebrate our national Youth Day in a special way with the rest of the world. On 16 June 2010 the football fraternity - including representatives of SAFA, the World Cup Organising Committee, the South African and foreign football legends - joined thousands of South Africans in Soweto to pay tribute to the class of 1976 for their role in the struggle for freedom and democracy.
The World Cup also helped to galvanise the masses of the people to promote national unity and social cohesion.In Gauteng, the Gateway 2010 campaign and the various initiatives we made to encourage the people to Fly the Flag and act as good hosts contributed to unprecedented levels of mass involvement in the promotion of social cohesion and national unity. Government created an enabling environment for the people to take creative initiatives to promote patriotism.The challenge now is to sustain the positive mood and encourage the people to continue promoting patriotism.
I wish to pay special tribute to all the people who contributed to the success of the World Cup:The ordinary people who received the visitors with warm and loving arms and made them feel at home; the volunteers who helped the visitors find their way around the country; and the security officers who worked selflessly to ensure the World Cup takes place in a safe and secure environment.
Madame Speaker, we are now in the last days of the Women's Month.Since the beginning of the month we have held a number of events to honour the women for the role they played in the struggle and recognise those who continue to lead the struggle for the total emancipation of women.
The main Gauteng event took place on 9 August 2010 in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni and highlighted service delivery issues and various government programmes, including practical actions to improve the lives of women. Government departments exhibited their services and provided information on practical steps which women could take to improve their own lives. There was an overwhelming response by ordinary women of Gauteng.Many of them took various medical tests to know their health status while others found valuable information about starting their own businesses and accessing various opportunities existing in government.
This new approach to the celebration of our commemorative days helps to refocus society on issues that concern development and service delivery.
As we celebrate Women's Month it is important to remind South Africans about the heroic struggles waged by our fore-bearers who fought against apartheid and gender discrimination.We must pay tribute to the women who in 1956 flexed their muscles to challenge the apartheid regime and at the same time teach the younger generation of women about the importance of continuing the struggle for the full emancipation of women.
Honourable members, while this report only deals with the performance of government in just one quarter it gives us confidence that we are on course to achieve all our outcomes.
As the Gauteng Provincial Government we reiterate our commitment to account on our work and subject ourselves to public scrutiny. We appeal to the Legislature to support us in our work as we implement the Programme of Action.We will continue to deploy the modest resources at our disposal to areas that contribute maximally to the improvement of the lives of the people of Gauteng.
Dankie, Ngiyabonga
For more information contact:
Thabo Masebe
Cell: 082 410 8087
