Honourable Speaker,
Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders in the North West,
Members of the Executive Council (EXCO),
Honourable Members of Parliament and Members of the North West Provincial Legislature,
Judge President and members of the Judiciary,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps and International community,
Executive Mayors , Mayors, councillors and leaders of SALGA,
Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, and our revered traditional leaders, Dikgosi/Maaparankwe,
The Provincial Commissioner of SAPS,
The Director General of the Province and Heads of Departments,
The Executive Heads of our Parastatals and Chairpersons of Board,
Representatives of business, labour and civil society formations,
Our distinguished guests and all dignitaries present,
Residents of our province North West at large,
Compatriots,
Comrades and friends,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Honourable Speaker,
Oliver Tambo, legendary freedom fighter and former ANC President once said that "We seek to create a united Democratic and non-racial society." This unity which comrade O.R referred to, embodied all the ingredients of a just society, for there can be no unity where there is no justice. There can never be any sustainable unity in a society that is beset by all social and economic inequalities.
It is common knowledge that, freedom for our people also involved the restoration of their dignity and status as full citizens, able to interact with the rest of the world, as worthy members of the world we all live in. This too, cannot happen in an environment that is fraught with all sorts of divisions and unnecessary fissures.
We meet here today, as men and women drawn from different parties, united in our resolve to make our Province a living testimony of the freedom of both minds and souls.
We gather here on the occasion of the State of the Province Address, to assert the authoritative voices of J.B Marks, Sol Plaatjie and many other sons and daughters of our Province who elected to stay true to the people. This session, more than just an annual ritual, reminds us that regardless of how much or less we feel about each other, however how much we may detest the sound of each other’s voice.
We remain the advance team upon whose shoulders lies the future of the people of this province. This instructs us to rise above the subjective opinions we hold about the development of this Province and unite ourselves behind the unifying elements without which ours would remain a society in a regressive mode.
I stand here, inspired by the hope that the masses have in us to resolve the vexing challenges they face. I stand here, unshaken in my conviction that the angels of history did not conspire in bad faith to put us in the social space. It is in this that our unity lies. It is in this that we draw strength to build a non-racial, non sexist society, mindful of its sad past but inspired by the bright future that beckons.
Solomon Plaatjie the first secretary of the African National Congress after witnessing the displacement of black African people said "Awaking on Friday morning, June 20, 1913, the South African native found himself, not actually a slave, but a pariah in the land of his birth". This was followed by O R Tambo comments, “In African epochs, long before the coming of the colonial masters from their northern climes three or four centuries ago, men and woman moved skilfully and purposefully across the terrain, plucking from the earth its bounty.
Trained to utilise a variety of means for their survival, they employed the art of the hunt, the judicious selection of fruits of the wild, the identification of the lushest pastures for their livestock, the cultivation of the most reliable staple foods; the growth of trade, the establishment of collective social structures and a world view, despite the occasional clash of interests between one clan and another, of the practical value of warm relationships and a deep respect for a shared humanity.”
In June this year the Native land Act of 1913 will be 100 years. This act brought misery and ruin. This act paved the way for all other offensive racist legislation that led to the institutionalisation Apartheid in 1948.
Blacks particularly Africans were removed from their land and restricted from buying or occupying land except as slaves to the white master. Whites subsequently occupied 87 % of land while the majority were forced in to the remaining 13 % of the most inarable land. This was not only the dispossession of land but a deliberate erosion of culture and livelihood, leaving in its wake underdevelopment and poverty.
The introduction of Apartheid in 1948 partitioned South Africa into three kinds of social, economic and politico-administrative spaces: the major urban areas; fertile commercial farming regions and associated small rural towns, and, unproductive, economically unviable so-called homelands and Bantustans, reserved for South Africa’s black majority population.
In 2013, 100 years later millions of our people still live in poverty in the areas into which their forefathers were banished. The attainment of democracy in 1994 brought to the fore the possibility for South Africa to address poverty and inequality, thus, restoring the dignity of citizens, irrespective of race, class or gender.
We are indebted to our forefathers for their unparallel leadership in fighting against this Act and other legislations brought by colonialism and apartheid.
Honourable Members
The Freedom Charter says and I quote “The Land Shall Be Shared Among Those Who Work It! Restrictions of land ownership on a racial basis shall be ended, and all the land re-divided amongst those who work it to banish famine and land hunger;
The state shall help the peasants with implements, seed, tractors and dams to save the soil and assist the tillers;
Freedom of movement shall be guaranteed to all who work on the land;
All shall have the right to occupy land wherever they choose;
People shall not be robbed of their cattle, and forced labour and farm prisons shall be abolished”.
We have numerous successes on the land redistribution and beneficiaries are enjoying the fruits. However we still have challenges in the backlogs of the applications from our province.
We are working with our communities to provide infrastructure and technical support to the following six land reform farms namerly: Syferlaagte Trust, Tutubala CPA, Seven seasons CPA, Mogakabe CPA, Ikageng CPA and Emarantia farm) which are beneficiaries in the current financial year.
Poverty, inequality and unemployment are a direct result of the Native Land Act of 1913. That is why we are supporting these farms to do well and ensure food security for all.
Honourable Speaker,
The ANC-led government is the product of the people and that is why we are always listening to their needs and responding well to their cries. The Diagnostic Report acknowledges the many achievements made by the post-Apartheid democratic ANC-led government in advancing a better life for our people. We have challenges as a province but we are getting there. The Chinese proverb says the journey of the thousand mile starts with one step.
The National Development Plan (NDP) provides for rural provinces like the North West better opportunities to participate fully in the economic, social and political life of the country. The people should be able to access high-quality basic services that enable them to be well nourished, healthy and increasingly skilled wherever they are in South Africa.
Honourable Speaker
In his state of the Nation address in 2009, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma stated that ‘Education will be a key priority for the next five years. We want our teachers, learners, and parents to work together with government to turn our schools into thriving centers of excellence. We are pleased to announce that the province has been able to improve the Grade 12 Matriculation results since 2009. In 2009 we have achieved 67.51%, and then in 2010 we scored 75.7%, and 2011 increased to 77.8%.
The 2012 grade 12 results demonstrated another remarkable improvement because we managed to obtain 79.5% overall pass rate and we are confident that the class of 2013 will make us even much prouder than we are this year.
The North West government and its people are grateful for the hard work invested by learners, teachers, school governing bodies, parents and the department of education in bringing about the improved results in our Matriculation examinations year in and out.
However as the province we are not happy with our performance in maths and sciences. We are going to re-train and capacitate teachers to make sure we improve in these subjects.
As the North West province we will be meeting with the all stakeholders involved in education to address this minimum pass rate of 30%.
We have made progress in the eradication of the mud schools in our province construction for six schools in Ngaka Modiri Molema and three in Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Dr Ruth Segomotso Mompati have been started and completion of one school in Bojanala is been done.
We have created 3172 jobs in various infrastructure projects viz., mud schools, renovations, sanitation, Grade classrooms, Laboratories and Libraries, water, fencing and recapitalisation of Technical schools. These projects have been on-going since the first quarter.
In addressing challenges of sanitation in the schools, I am happy to announce that the Premier’s special projects will be commencing with the sanitation programme as matter of urgency.
In the next financial year, we will continue to provide schools with the requisite infrastructure by providing sanitation, water, specialised rooms, fencing, renovations and extensions to improve the conditions of our schools. We will continue in our efforts to eradicate all the dilapidated and mud schools. Lastly but not least we will assist schools to get the ICT infrastructure for both administrative and learning purposes.
One of the challenges we have in the province which was highlighted in the 2012 Annual National Assessment was that we are the worst in the Country when it comes to literacy and numeracy in grades 3, 6, and 9. In the next financial year we will work hard to improve these Challenges.
Mr Speaker
It has been confirmed by research that if children receive good education earlier, the likelihood of them maturing into economically productive adults is high and that early childhood interventions in health & nutrition programmes increase children’s chances of survival. With current levels of household poverty, many families cannot afford to provide the most basic necessities to ensure any children well-being. Therefore ECD programme provides a safety-net for these children and creates jobs through EPWP.
Of an estimated 404 347 children (0-4years) in NW (GHS 2011), an average of 29.0% attend Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres which is still a challenge in terms of access, and only 26.4% are exposed to ECD programmes/stimulation which brings into question the quality of ECD services being provided.
The expansion of Early Childhood Development services remains one of the critical priority areas of the Department, which will include increasing access, improving the quality of ECD services and improving ECD Infrastructure. To this effect, the Department has partnered with the National Development Agency to achieve the required results.
ECD subsidy has been increased from R12.00 to R15.00 per child per day and support was also provided to ECD practitioners through the development of the ECD capacity building plan and training on regulatory framework. After considering this, our Department of Education has also been instructed to partner with the Department of Social Development and Ilifia La Bantwana for expansion of ECD services to rural areas.
Ladies and gentlemen
We have 920 000 number of households having access to basic water, in the next financial year we are aiming to achieve 100% of access to water by all households.
The province experienced problems in shortage of water last year and even in the beginning of the year 2013 due to aging of water infrastructure. We have liaised with both Botshelo and Magalies water and all the municipalities involved so that this problem can be resolved. The upgrading of water treatment works is also under discussion.
In terms of sanitation 914 000 households have access. Approximately 61% of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) has to date been spent and this was mainly directed in eradicating service delivery backlogs. The eradication of all pre-1994 bucket toilets in all municipalities will be achieved during the remainder of the term; however, the eradication of post 1994 bucket toilets will be achieved with some difficulty due to the mushrooming of new informal settlements. But we are committed to eradicate the bucket systems.
Across the province, 826 000 households have access to basic electricity. The provision of electricity to all urban households will be achieved during the remainder of the term; however, households in rural areas and informal settlements will remain a challenge and the likelihood of achieving access in these areas will either be achieved with difficulties, but we have engaged ESKOM and other SOE’s to come to board and accelerate this matter as part of SIP 4.
90% of indigent households have access to free basic water and 35% have access to free basic electricity and we have successfully developed and indigent policy framework.
Honourable Members
The North West province has continued to record overall positive outcomes. We are the first province to cure Extreme Drug Resistant (XDR) TB as confirmed by the National department of Health. The province treatment outcome also improved from 40.3% to 69.8% (over 20% cure rate improvement) with patients defaulting treatment also showing decrease from 10.8% to 7.8%. These MDR and XDR cure rates are the best in the country. We want to thank the dedicated Health professional’s team of this unit in Klerksdorp for their hard work.
The National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot in Dr Kenneth Kaunda district has made significant progress towards the service quality required for NHI despite the late loading of the grant funding. The first Human milk bank in partnership with the North West University of (Potchefstroom Campus), kangaroo mother care and maternal waiting home for patients from far flung areas to improve access and reduce obstetric complications and maternal deaths have been launched.
We have seen the number of caregivers receiving stipend increased from 4 050 in 2009 to 6 439 in 2012 inclusive of Caregivers benefiting from the EPWP Incentive Grant. All fixed health facilities in the province are providing HIV Counselling and testing with 1 398 community counsellors receiving stipend.
The Province continues to do well in the HCT campaign, and as of December 2011 the HIV testing rate was 93%. The annual HIV prevalence survey among pregnant women, showed a slight decline in the province, from 30% to 29.6 %, in the year 2009 and 2010 respectively.
The Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) Programme was strengthened, and all pregnant women were encouraged to know their HIV status, by participating in the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) programme, in order to increase access to treatment and care. The number of Community Caregivers increased from to 5 330 to 6 439. The number of PLHIV (People Living with HIV) support groups also expanded from 90 to 150.
Honourable Members
Last year we promised the upgrade of major infrastructure development in our hospitals, Nursing colleges and health centres. The Brits Staff accommodation plans have been finalised. The extensions of Mmabatho and Excelsius nursing colleges are underway. The planning of Moses Kotane, Potchefstroom, Lichtenburg and Taung nursing schools is at an advanced stage.
In terms of the Hospital Revitatilisation Programme, the Brits Hospital has reached 96% towards completion. In relation to community health centres, 10 projects are at planning stage due to shortage of funds. We have addressed the challenges.
Ladies and gentlemen
We have successfully held the road summits in all our districts to identify and prioritise our roads. The outcome of this was a consultative summit which made a realistic 10-year Provincial Roads Plan that is more responsive to the needs of our communities. We have addressed the capacity problems we have in our district, supply of road maintenance material and plants. This will put us in better position to maintain roads in the districts.
Approximately R80 million will be spent in the 2012/13 financial year; and R200 million during 2013/14, for the road rehabilitation and maintenance, through contract work, 80 percent of which will be allocated to local SMMEs. Thirty (30) roads projects will be under construction in 2013/14 as well as 24 building construction projects.
In 2013/14 financial year, planning, design and procurement processes for building construction and roads projects will be implemented for 2014/15 financial year.
We also then prioritised the following plans after thorough engagements with our stakeholders and then developed the following plans:
- Provincial Transport Master Plan (as part of the National Transport Master Plan)
- Provincial Rural Transport Strategy
- Integrated Transport Plans for the District Municipalities
- Provincial Land Transport Framework
During the state of the Nation address in 2012 the President announced the roll out 10 roads as part of the infrastructure development in the province. I am pleased to announce that the roads have been increased to 25 roads as gazetted on 28 September 2012 that will be part of the Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP 4) SANRAL is the appointed implementing agent.
Work has begun in the form of routine patrol and emergency repairs on these roads, including road clearance, pothole repair, signage, shoulders, grass cutting, drainage clearance.
The Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission is responsible for facilitation of the integration and coordination of the long-term infrastructure projects across spheres of Government. Eighteen SIPS’ were developed. The North West is still benefiting from other SIP’s in terms of energy, water, school buildings, health and regional integration, etc.
We have managed to stabilise all scholar transport contracts. Operators have cooperated with the department in signing corrected contracts and accepting corrected appointment letters and their invoices are being processed. We have agreed to convene a Scholar Transport Summit.
Distinguished Guests
Pudimoe and Letsopa libraries will be completed in March 2013. They will be followed by Lomanyaneng, Gannalagte & Tlokweng libraries. Sports Complexes at Manthe & Mamusa ware expected to be completed in the next financial year. We have intensified school sport by establishing a joint programme with Department of Education and we also selected more than 600 schools to benefit from the school sport programme.
There are plans underway for 2013/14 to construct a multi-sport facility in Ngaka Modiri Molema District. Itsoseng Stadium will undergo major renovation and upgrade to making it usable and safe to host major games.
Hounourable Members
In his 3 June 2009, the President of the Republic of South Africa His Excellency Hon. J.G Zuma indicated that, as part of social infrastructure development government will provide suitably located and affordable housing and decent human settlements. And that government will proceed from the understanding that, human settlement is not just about building houses, it is about transforming our cities and towns and building cohesive, sustainable and caring communities with closer access to work and social amenities, including sports and recreation facilities. Through this affirmation, it became increasingly important to ensure that the paradigm shift from the provision of housing to the creation of sustainable human settlements is attained.
We have launched the Community Residential Units (CRU) in Tlokwe and this has been a success. The projects of this nature will be roll out to other municipalities in 2013. We have delivered 12 248 for the amount of R930 794 914.17 (Nine Hundred and Thirty million, seven hundred ninety four thousand, Nine hundred fourteen Rand and seventeen cent) as January 2013, for the year 2013/14 we will be building 15 230 in the four regions to the value of R1 224 537 000.00. (One billion, two hundred twenty four thousand and five hundred and thirty seven rand)
Eight municipalities have been assisted in reviewing the housing sector plans. Out of the eight, Tlokwe is currently going through the departmental planning, while Matlosana is finalising its approval process. The review process of housing sector plans is anticipated to be competed in the 2012/13 financial year.
Honourable Members
During adjustment budget last year November R8 million and R27 million were given as funding for winding down and litigation of North West Housing Corporation(NWHC) respectively.
This amount will be utilised towards the settlement of some of the outstanding matters of litigation which affected the winding down of the NWHC.
We have made progress in discovering the land and the houses belonging to the housing corporation. We are left with conveyances to ensure that title deeds are issued.
Honourable Members
As part of the commemoration of 100 years of the Native Land Act of 1913 we will dedicate resources to providing post-settlement support to the beneficiaries of land restitution in the province to ensure that acquired land is used productively.
In our efforts to improve access to the markets for the smallholder producers the Department of Agriculture has launched both the Mahikeng and Taung Farmers markets in 2012/13 in partnership with the North West University and farmers around both Mahikeng and Taung. We are looking at the feasibility of this project to go to other districts this year especially Dr KK and Bojanala.
It is with pride that we can state that the North West Province is to date the only province in the country where the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) has been launched and Provincial CAADP Team established comprising of representatives from various key sector role players. CAADP is an initiative of the African Union Commission (AUC) and NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), which seeks to bring agriculture in all African countries back on track.
The Provincial Aquaculture and Fisheries Programme was launched by the department of agriculture in November 2012. The programme is now being implemented in partnership with the Rhodes University in the 6 identified dams to promote inland Fisheries and aquaculture. Efforts will be made this year to work with the Departments of Water Affairs and Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism in order as to strengthen institutional arrangement in these six identified dams.
The Kgora Farmer Training Centre has been officially and successfully launched during this financial year and 415 clients were provided with service at the centre. The intention of the farmer training centre is to ensure that farmers who receive support from the department are adequately trained. A learning by doing model in partnership with the Netherlands Practical School will be used to teach farmers practical training at the centre. The Netherlands will train trainers who will be used at the centre to train farmers.
Kgora Training centre among other will include upgrading the skills of farmers through technical, business and management training in order to equip farmers with the requisite skills to farm successfully.
In addition, at Kgora training centre, a project for food security and empowerment for the vulnerable groups was also launched. This project seeks to ensure that vulnerable groups are taught how to plough their own food in order as to ensure that they gain access to nutritious food.
As part of our support towards employment creation through agriculture, a total of 1 502 jobs were created by implementing 401 projects and over 19 681 farming community beneficiaries were supported as part of the departmental job creation plan during the period under review.
In my pronouncement last year I promised to look at the transformation of the Taung Irrigation Scheme, today we are happy to announce that we have Seventy two (72) centre pivots purchased and various mechanisation packages allocated to farmers. We will be putting in place proper management systems.
Honourable Speaker
We will continue to enhance the functioning of ward committees in order to mobilise local participation in matters of development and service delivery. We have established 382 ward committees of the total 383 wards. The remaining ward is expected to be established shortly.
There has been a continuous drive to capacitate ward committees. Induction workshops were held and members of ward committee were provided with copies of relevant legislation. To assist their ward committees, municipalities are already paying them a monthly stipend.
We are moving in right directions where our municipalities are concern, we still have challenges but we are winning the battle. All our Municipalities were able to submit their Financial Statements on time by deadline of 31 August 2012.
We established the oversight committees (MPACs & PACs) in line of the MFMA requirements. All the 19 local municipalities have implemented the Municipal Property Rates Act. It is expected that at least 70% of all outstanding debt will be recovered. Eleven (11) municipalities are supported to improve Records Management to improve audit outcomes.
Tlokwe Municipality has been accredited at level 1 for housing delivery. Simplified IDP Framework has been approved for implementation. We approved the Provincial Spatial Development of Land Use Schemes in various district municipalities. Revenue enhancement strategy has been developed for five municipalities.
The Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs has developed 2016 Turnaround Strategy which seeks to turn around the municipalities and traditional institutions in the province. We adopted the disaster management policy.
Our interface with communities through the Community Development Workers programme has gained momentum to the extent on average 1500 cases per month of social related matters have been registered.
As government, we are continuing to play our defined role in supporting the institution of traditional leadership to deal with the resolution of conflicts and issues of succession. By end of March 2013, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will conduct elections for traditional councils we hope this will bring stability to this institution.
We are happy to announce that the issue of Matlosana municipality has been resolved and Eskom has agreed not to cut the supply of electricity in that municipality. We urge the community in Matlosana to continue to pay for the services and also urge government department to pay the municipalities.
It is government obligation to support, strengthens the capacity, monitor and supervise municipalities to manage their affairs appropriately. We therefore could not just fold our arms and leave the situation unattended.
Honorable Members
The year 2012 had seen the most illegal killings of Rhinos in the North West Province, with a total number of Rhino poached at 77 as compared to the 21 Rhinos of 2011 and 57 of 2010. This illegal killing of the rhinos has claimed nine (11) to date in 2013.
Rhino poaching is priority crime and therefore treated as a serious crime. As a result, a Rhino Priority Committee has been established and chaired by the South African Police Services and constitute of various government security agencies and stakeholders such as NPA, Justice, Unions, Traditional Leaders, NWPTB and Private Rhino Association and of course DEDECT.
The committee serves to evaluate occurrence of the rhino incidents, plan jointly and give feedback on investigations and because their active involvement at least 32 arrests have been made so far and six poachers which were arrested in the Sandgate farm in Vryburg on Wednesday night.
We hope to make a breakthrough in combating rhino poaching. Miscreants will undoubtedly be put to book. We will arrest them, charge them, find them guilty and sentence them.
Honourable Speaker,
As government, we believe that, if we invest more in the mining, manufacturing/ beneficiation and energy sectors, it will possible to place our economy on a positive growth path. We have started with the paving of the roads leading to recreational amenities. We have erected the Taung Dam Tourism Development.
The Development of Taung Skull Site is under way, the access road leading to the site is under construction and the Stakeholder steering committee was established to help in sourcing funds. The province will find money to start with this project so that it can work.
Access to funding has always been a thorny issue for emerging entrepreneurs. I am happy to announce that SMME funding has commenced and R22 million was made available to start the fund. To date loans to value of R18 516 864.00 have been granted to 96 deserving SMMEs, creating 263 permanent and 97 temporary jobs.
We have reached an agreement with Peermont Group through the North West parks and Tourism Board to purchase the Taung Tusk. This matter will now finally be concluded before the end this financial year. The conversion of the hotel to a fully fleshed hotel school will commence in the next financial year. We have at the same time reached an agreement with the Gauteng Provincial Government to release the Garankuwa Hotel without absorption of liabilities. A win win situation has been arrived at.
The North West Industrialisation Summit was successfully hosted on 29 November 2012. The Industrialisation Summit attempted to elevate information transfer of progress being made by the Provincial Government and in particular the DEDECT to advance the economic development of the province.
Ten projects to fast track the economic activities in the province are as follows:
- Infrastructure projects
- Agro processing- livestock and game beneficiation
- Agro processing – Small Scale Maize Milling
- Mining Supply Park
- Metal fabrication, capital and transport equipment and Sector development Zone
- Green economy Projects
- Automotive Products and components sector development zone
- Platinum beneficiation sector development zone
- Plastic and chemicals sector development zone
- Electronics sector development zone and Business process services (BPSs) sector development zone
This will identify potential scale industrial projects in different sectors in the Province through to special economic zones.
Honourable Members
This financial year we are prioritising youth empowerment through entrepreneurial and occupational skills development. Nineteen (19) youth cooperatives / NPOs will be established and 250 youth will participate in National Youth Services for skills development. In addition to that, 95 youth will be involved in sustainable livelihood and entrepreneurship development programmes with financial and non-financial support and 95 job opportunities will be created. Representatives of youth around the province will be participating in dialogues during youth month.
Thirty five (35) home community based care centres and 25 drop in centres were funded to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS to communities, we have 30 233 beneficiaries receiving food parcels, school uniforms, cooked meals and supplements and we recorded about 1 732 jobs created through the HCBC EPWP Programme.
871 children in conflicts with law were assessed within 48 hours of arrest and 413 were referred to the Diversion programme. We have 21 533 youth in our province reaching through the Ke-Moja substance abuse awareness programme.
In the year ahead, we will improve on the management and utilisation of Secure Care Centres in the Province, and also strengthen services for sentenced children and we will expand social crime awareness and prevention programmes and intensify the assessment of children in conflict with the law. We will also expand on the number of children who participate in diversion programmes.
Four of our emerging youth cooperatives and twelve (12) emerging women cooperatives were funded to the tune of R12.9m to build their capacity for future participation in economic development initiatives with assistance from economic cluster departments.
Honourable Members
We have been faced with the worst calamity since democracy last year in Marikana. The death of the police and mine workers has shocked the people of this province and the world at large. The commission set by the President is still underway, we hope this situation will not repeat itself as it was and still is painful. We are engaging with the mining houses to ensure does not repeat itself.
On Monday we witnessed the clashes between the NUM and AMCU in the Anglo Platinum Mine in Rustenburg. We are calling for truce in the mining sector between the two rival unions. We are calling for their speedy recovery for those who have been injured.
We call on all the stakeholders to find an amicable solution to the recent crises in the mining sector in the province.
Honourable Speaker
Over the past few years, the economic infrastructure of the province has been declining on a progressive basis, thus inhibiting potential investment and growth. These pose most pressing challenge to the prospects for growth, job creation and development in the province.
The Planning Commission looks at ways that planning successfully requires an in-depth analysis of the economic endowments that the province has that is, the natural resources in human, technological and capital it also appreciates that these should be accompanied by value additions through the creation of environments conducive for the development of such resources.
We have hosted another successful colloquium that looked through the three economic sectors of Energy, Water and Economic Infrastructure, to:
- To unpack the significance of infrastructure to growth and development
- Lay the foundation for the development of a Provincial Development Plan that will be aligned to the National Development Plan;
- To explore infrastructure development for job creation
The North West Planning Commission has completed research on sanitation, housing, electrification. This enables us to plan the province by ward.
Honourable Members
In my address to this house last year, I raised a concern about the deteriorating state of morality in our society. We have witnessed in the past weeks occurrences of rape and sexual assault and this has been dominating headlines in our province.
We call on all men and women from all walks of life to join us as the provincial government in leading a campaign against the scourge. We need to send a clear message that real man don’t rape. We must ensure this barbarian ends up in jail where they belong. We say enough is enough. A re emeng ka maoto bagaetsho!
Distinguished guests
We will host a provincial summit on Moral Regeneration and Social Cohesion during this financial year. The intention is to establish a provincial structure that will be a leading voice on social cohesion and moral regeneration.
Ladies and Gentlemen
I committed myself to assist district municipalities to establish intergovernmental relations fora by September 2012. I am satisfied that all District IGR Fora have been resuscitated and meetings have already taken place. We have identified numerous challenges. My office will also continue to provide strategic and administrative support to municipality.
Honourable Members
We are looking at recruiting 586 unemployed graduates through various Internship Programmes in the Provincial departments.
Twenty (20) employees have been registered in the Electrical Engineering Learner ship to be trained as Artisans to respond to the National Artisan Development Programme.
We will roll out 119 bursaries for the scarce skills programmes in the province; this will be allocated to deserving student in the following areas: Town Planning, Agriculture, Mining Engineering and other Engineering fields, Health and Accounting and Finance.
EXCO has approved the concept document on the Premier’s International Scholarship and Exchange Programmes and it has also approved the establishment of the Advisory Committee. Four officials and two interns will participate in the ICT Programme offered by the Indian Government through a Scholarship Programme.
The recruitment and appointment of 40 unemployed youth on Building and Civil Construction Learner ship Programme for the financial year 2012/13 was implemented.
In partnership with Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) has planned to continue with the training of 100 (hundred) unemployed youth on Building and Civil Construction Learner ship and Apprenticeship.
Honourable Speaker, escalating the Expanded Public Works Programme also assisted in terms of providing relief to our poor people during these trying times. To date, we have created 21 196 job opportunities through EPWP.
The Community Works Programme has been implemented in 13 municipalities. This programme is critical for poverty alleviation and skills development, it further contributes in the maintenance of infrastructure. i.e. potholes in roads, environment management. This programme has created a total 9060 beneficiaries.
Ladies and gentlemen
The proposal to install CCTV cameras is underway for Mahikeng and money has been earmarked for the project to be completed in the next financial year.
In developing the capacity of the Community Policing Forums (CPFs), 243 CPF members have been trained during 2012/13 financial year.
The Jaws team has been reactivated and numerous operations have been held throughout the province in promoting and ensuring adequate and safe free-flow of traffic on the roads of the North West Province, the department conducted 20 492 speed law enforcement operations, 44 611 vehicles exceeded the speed limit, conducted 130 cross border operations and out of 6463 roadblocks planned for the term, a total of 2999 have already been conducted. Furthermore, vehicles were stopped for fitness tests on both the driver and the vehicle itself.
In an effort to root out corruption two round table discussions relating to the impact of corruption on service delivery were held. Awareness programmes relating to corruption held in all districts. The provincial summit was also held. The Commemoration of the international day against corruption was held in Klerksdorp to discuss measures to be put in placed in fighting corruption.
Honourable members
Cooperation with other countries is central to encourage interaction; the province is continuously engaging with other countries for the betterment of our relations. We are servicing our agreements with the province of Henan in China, our relations is growing stronger due to our reciprocal visits in the quest to explore opportunities that are available for mutual benefits.
The province has resuscitated of the relationship with Texas in the United States of America.
Honourable Members
We have hosted the APRM consultative Conference on the 19 February 2013. We have launched the Provincial Council on Aids this 18 February; we know the issue was long outstanding. We hope to work with the new board.
We are going to host job summit in 2013 together with department of labour on 8 March 2013.
In his 2013 State of the Nation Address, Jacob Zuma said “In my last meeting with the business community, the sector indicated that for the economy to grow three-fold we must remove certain obstacles,” He further said that “We will engage business, labour, and other social partners in pursuit of solutions. No single force, acting individually, can achieve the objectives we have set for ourselves.”
We should draw inspiration from this commitment by the President and also ensure that all social partners are actively involved in the improvement of the provision of services to our Province. This provision should also influence the manner in which business leaders, labour and all other social partners also provide services to their service recipients. In this we shall discover that we all have value to add in one another’s methods and systems of making our Province the epitome of excellence.
I extend a hand to all to join government in putting our people first. All who agree with this philosophy shall adjust their mode of operation to suit the challenges we face, they shall refashion their approaches to be more inclusive so that we can all take collective responsibility of our successes and imperfections. In this unity, I believe.
I thank you!
Ke a leboga!
Baie Dankie!
