Premier Supra Mahumapelo: North West Office of the Premier Prov Budget Vote 2017/18

Budget Speech of the Office of the Premier Delivered By Hon Premier Hon Supra Obakeng Ramoeletsi Mahumapelo, North West Provincial Legislature, Mahikeng

Hon Speaker of the Provincial Legislature, Hon Members of the Executive Council, Hon Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Leaders of Political Parties Represented in this House, Our Esteemed Traditional Leaders,
Your Worship Executive Mayors and Mayors of our Municipalities, Speakers of our Councils,
Heads of Our Security Agencies, Lieutenant Gen Motsoenyane,
The  Director  General  Dr  Lydia  Sebego  and  Heads  of  Provincial Departments,
Leadership of Chapter Nine Institutions,
Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of State-Owned Enterprises,
Leaders of Labour Movements, Civil Society, Faith Based- Organisations and Business,
The South African Local Government Association Chairperson, Comrades and Friends,
People of the North West, Ladies and gentlemen,

Mmusa Kgotla, Chapter 6, Section 125 of the Constitution of the Republic provides that the executive authority of Government in the Province is vested in the Premier. In order for the Premier to successfully execute the mandate as provided for under Section 125 of the Constitution of the Republic, we appeal to your house to approve the following funds as an abler for the implementation of programmes for the Office of the Premier for 2017/18 Financial Year:

In summary, the above programmes serve as a framework to achieve the following concomitant mandates:

• Effective and efficient administration
• Institutional Development and Support
• Development of Policy and effective governance

Hon Speaker, Our long-term strategic goal is to create a National Democratic Society (NDS) which is united, non-racial, non-sexist, peaceful and prosperous through the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). The course of this struggle will be a protracted one pursued by us for the benefit of future generations like the generation before us fought for us to inherit the democracy we enjoy today.

This imposes an obligation on all of us collectively as a society to continuously strive for the creation of this national democratic society to deal with the injustices of our past.

Hon Members, the minimum programme to achieve the creation of the national democratic society is the National Development Plan which in the Province is implemented in the context of the Rebranding, Repositioning and Renewal (RRR) through the five concretes; ACT, VTSD, RHR, Setsokotsane and Saamwerk-Saamtrek.

Hon Speaker, the conceptualisation of these five concretes is borrowed from the People’s Republic of China’s four Comprehensives introduced by President XI Jinping.  The Chinese four Comprehensives are;  (1) Building a moderately prosperous society (2) Deepening Reform (3) Implementing the rule of law and (4) Strengthening Party Discipline.

The rebranding intends to confront everything that is negative about the Province real, perceived, imagined or created as opportunities for repositioning. Repositioning represents the interventions and programmes we adopt in order to reverse the negative image about the Province, and Renewal a stage at which we would have succeeded in rebranding and repositioning our Province, Bokone-Bophirima.

Hon members, we are happy that this context of actualising the National Development Plan has now occupied the imagination of both our people and honourable members of this house.

Economic overview

Hon Speaker, our Province’s competitive advantage in the mining industry as an important tributary accounts for 50% of world’s platinum, gold, diamonds, chrome, vanadium, granite, slate, limestone, dimension stone, nickel, silica, manganese, phosphate, fluorspar, zinc etc.

Hon Speaker, mining is a strategic catalytic sector and tributary to other fundamental strategic areas of focus by the fifth administration, like ACT. To illustrate this understanding, I would like to provide the following example: If one owns a plot of 10ha it will be more strategic economically to plant crops and use mineral deposits embedded there in as a basis to raise capital for growing and sustaining crop through the necessary infrastructure for water, crop, livestock etc. Agriculture in your 10ha plot will exist forever whilst the diamond or gold in the 10ha will be depleted at some point. Capital generated from the mining activity there, can also be used to attract tourism to the establishment for entertainment as part of arts & culture and accommodation, lessons on farming, history of the area as part of tourism and this will exist continuously, anchored on the best marketing plan.

Hon Speaker, I hope this finally clarifies all the people including some Hon Members who have claimed that mining is excluded as an important sector of our economy. This is not only far from the truth, but is misleading, mischievous and yawning attempts to confuse the masses who are the drivers of change.

Hon Members, Our Province is the food basket of South Africa, producing more than 20% of South Africa’s maize crop. The Province also produces livestock (cattle & poultry), sunflower seeds and oils; nuts; citrus, tobacco (all GMO free).

The Business and financial services contributes 14% to provincial GDP and accounts for 5% of employment. There is high potential in renewable energy opportunities within Municipal Waste conversion, Biomass (converting alien invasive plants into energy) and Solar Technologies including Off-grid energy for rural areas.

The strategic location of our Province bordering Botswana, is ideally positioned to access the 14 countries comprising the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as well as the islands of Africa's east coast, and even the Gulf States and India. The Province’s well developed road and rail links provide the platform and infrastructure for ground transportation deep into sub-Saharan Africa. This provides access to a market of over 250 MILLION CONSUMERS.

Hon Members, we are aware that current sluggish economic growth could slow our ability to achieve some of the targets we have set ourselves as a result of changing conditions and projections. We do however wish to caution against pessimism particularly from some Hon Members in this house.

It is important for Hon Members to understand the difference between an economic target and economic projection. When experts project that the economy might contract due to behaviour of various variables in the equation, it does not necessarily mean that the target has to be abandoned.
 
Changing conditions in the economy impose a huge responsibility on implementers to strive for the same under the new conditions.

Hon Members, this approach is explained better by Grace Lee Boggs in her attempt to interpret Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s theory of Negation of Negation, in her Autobiography; Living for Change:

“Progress does not take place like “a shot out of a pistol.” It requires the “labor, patience and suffering of the negative.” In everything there is the duality of the positive and the negative…”
“Tsela kgopo ga e latse nageng”

Hon Members, in his State of the National Address on 9th February 2017, President Jacob Zuma asked a fundamental question; “What do we mean by radical socio-economic transformation?.

President Zuma provided the following comprehensive response to this important question:

• “We mean fundamental change in the structure, systems, institutions and patterns of ownership, management and control of the economy in favour of all South Africans, especially the poor, the majority of whom are African and female, as defined by the governing party which makes policy for the democratic government.”

 Hon Members, unfortunately after 23 years of democracy our society still bear negative images of our apartheid past. At the heart of our special apartheid demography are deep levels of economic inequalities and marginalisation of the vast majority of our people, majority of whom are in villages, townships and small dorpies.

President Jacob Zuma further underlined the task of radical economic transformation as ‘’to move beyond words to practical programmes’’.

Hon Speaker, we owe it to the living memory of Oliver Reginald Tambo to do everything in our power to preserve the democratic state as an instrument of change, to practically implement radical changes to the structure of our economy for the benefit of all our people, united in our diversity.

Economic Rebranding, Repositioning and Renewal of the NWDC

Hon Speaker, we have made a determination to attend to some of the necessary imperatives of the provincial economy to ensure proper planning and coordination. In this regard we wish to bring to the attention of this House the following strategic areas of focus for the NWDC:

• To create an enabling environment for foreign direct investment into the Province by establishing Industrial Parks within the VSTD Areas.
• Serve as a strategic vehicle to expedite the delivery of key provincial projects to facilitate access of  Bokone-Bophirima Citizens into the mainstream Economy.
• To lead the implementation of VTSD Industrialisation Plan by ensuring that identified initiatives in VTSD areas are developed into viable projects through Premier’s VTSD Economic Outreach Programme.
•  The  NWDC will monitor implementation of provincial mining agenda, accelerate VTSD agro-processing businesses, establish special economic zones, intensify implementation of the Mahikeng airport logistics hub strategy, implement the VTSD industrial hubs and implement the provincial industrialisation action plan.

Hon Members, the Premier has already held a meeting with all Heads of Departments, CEOs of State Owned Entities and all Municipal Managers to produce a VTSD Industrialisation Plan for the Province.

A preliminary list of just over 400 possible VTSD Industrialisation Projects has been identified for implementation in the Province across Provincial Departments, SOEs and municipalities. Some of the Industrialisation projects identified include:

• Motlopi Coffee Pilot Project
• Sun-farming Food and Energy Project
• Taung Mining Project
• Manufacturing of Learner Teacher Support Material and Tablets
•  Automotive Manufacturing Company
•  SEZ – Special Economic Zone
•  Transport Logistics
• Manufacturing of School Uniforms
•  Lighting & Fitting
•  Agro-processing
•  Meat Processing
•  Light Industrial Park
• Taung Irrigation Scheme
• Bakeries
• Matlosana Industrial Park
• Commercialisation of Villages

Expansion of EDC Centres

Hon Members, additional initiatives already implemented by the NWDC include:

1. Government Precinct

Potential funding for the projects has been confirmed and situation analysis is underway. The Government Precinct Infrastructure Project will transform Mahikeng Capital City in to a real city and present to the people of this town opportunities in job creation, skills, entrepreneurship etc.

2. Country Bird Holdings

As highlighted during SOPA 2017, due diligence and feasibility studies have been finalised. Public Industrial Corporation (PIC) and the Land Bank have been approached for possible funding.

3. Government Security Services

Hon Members, we announced during SOPA 2017 that as part of strengthening the capacity of the developmental state, we will put in place plans to utilise funds currently spent on security tenders to create employment for the youth and empower them with portal skills to enable them to obtain gainful employment or create own enterprises.
 
We are happy to announce that with effect from 1st May 2017 the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management started as the inaugural client Department of this programme.

We have ensured that the transition into this model does not result in any job losses by incorporating workers from the old security company into the new company, with the understanding that they will undergo the necessary vetting and training to ensure that they are in line with the trading standards. Key to the incorporation is also the recruitment and employment of local youth not only for security services, but also in other training initiatives such as carpentry, electrical, welding, plumbing etc.

4. Tilapia Fish Farm

A proposal has been received from a potential partner in this venture. The necessary due diligence and feasibility study will depend on the successful sourcing of requisite funding. In turn, the outcome of the due diligence and feasibility study will inform whether or not to proceed with the venture.

5.  Alternative Building Material

One factory has been established in Madibeng Local Municipality and it is operational. The factory has given employment to one women co- operative consisting of seven employees. The factory currently has an order of 500 panels that it has to deliver on.

The NWDC will implement access to markets for provincial businesses targeting large corporates operating in the province and mining houses to accelerate VTSD agro-processing, establish Special Economic Zone in Mogwase, intensify implementation of the Mahikeng Airport Logistics
 
Hub Strategy, develop the VSTD Industrial Hubs guided by the provincial industrialisation action plan based on the competitive and comparative advantages of each region.

6. VTSD Youth Entrepreneurship Services (YES) Industrialisation

Hon Speaker, the formal establishment of YES as a public entity has added the necessary speed in the operations of the entity and its delivery to the youth of the Province. We are pleased to highlight the following achievements of YES’s VTSD Industrialisation programme:

a. Stuart Nhlathi Science, Engineering & Technology Innovation Laboratory (SNset Institute), based in Matlosana Local Municipality, inventing and testing prototypes. The Institute will also train and impart skills to identified youth from other 17 municipalities.

b. Bokamoso Innovation Lab - a social entrepreneurship horticultural programme aimed at mass job creation and food production to supply the local community and the school nutrition programme in Manyeledi and neighbouring villages including Botswana, based in Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality.

c. Omphile coffin manufacturing supplying funeral parlours in Taung, Vryburg, Shweizer-Reneke, Christiana, Bloemhof, Delareyville, Wolmaranstad, Ottosdal with coffins and tombstones, based in Taung.
 
Hon Members, the VTSD YES Industrialisation Programme will continue in the 2017/18 financial year through the following initiatives:

• The Municipal Support & sustainability Initiative entails recycling infrastructure, motorised 3 wheelers and material recovery units in all municipalities, creating 700 jobs in the process.
• Mobile Laundry will entail customised motorbikes with laundry and dry cleaning bin designed to perform pick-up and delivery offering syndicated on a smart portal, mobile units, portable manufacturing and distribution of detergents and industrial hubs in  all  municipalities,  creating 500   jobs   in   the  process.

Litigations

Hon Members, The Office of the Premier is not in the business of litigating, and we have done everything possible to strengthen decision making within Government to avoid the risk of avoidable court actions against Government. However, unavoidable circumstances often compel us to defend matters before the courts to pursue our resolve to enforce value for money across all contractual obligations between the state and private companies. Significant successes have been registered in some areas like Valor IT Contract which we cancelled and the court affirmed this by rejecting company’s claims against us. Office of the Premier will continue to monitor litigation patterns across departments and mitigate against such liabilities.
 
Greed, Crime, Corruption & Ethics

Madam Speaker, the ANC has since 1994 committed itself to deal with challenges that continue to affect our society such as greed, crime and corruption. Crime and corruption are consequences or results of greed in any society. We need to learn to live within our economic needs and the culture of expanding our capacity to respond to our needs through entrepreneurship anchored on compliance and the rule of law.

Hon Members, the fifth administration has consistently reported to this House on the work we are doing to deal with fraud and corruption in the public service in general. As part of this ongoing work, a progress report will be submitted to the Hon Speaker on all forensic audits commissioned by different departments.

Hon Speaker, Since February 2016, the following is progress registered by provincial departments with regard to cases:

• Of the 24 cases that related to theft, fraud and corruption; 21 were finalised while 3 are still pending.
• Of the 10 cases that related to assault, 2 were finalised while 8 are still pending
• Of the 10 cases that related to government property loss, damage and misuse, 6 were finalised while 4 are still pending
• Of the 38 charges that related to contravention of supply chain policies and PFMA, 13 were finalised while 25 are still pending
• Of the 18 cases that related to absenteeism, unauthorised absence and abuse of sick leave, 6 were finalised while 12 are still pending
•  Of the 45 cases that related to behavioral insubordination, failure to carry instructions and insolences, 25 were finalised while 20 are still pending.

The total number of cases finalised is therefore 73 while the number of those that are still pending is 72 as part of our way-forward.

Hon Members, in all the finalised cases, various sanctions that ranged from final written warning to suspension without pay including dismissal were imposed. Further, in all the matters that related to employee dishonesty (fraud, theft and corruption) and those that are related to contravention of PFMA, guilty employees were dismissed after due processes were followed.

Hon Members, we acknowledge that despite the 50.3% finalisation rate, there is still room for improvement; particularly around consequence management and the need to comply with the provisions of sections 81 to 85 of the PFMA. Investigation reports from the Hawks, SIU and Public Protector are necessary in order to speed up completion of cases.

Hon Speaker, I wish to confirm to the House that a new proclamation has been signed by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, and is now with Presidency for final approval. This proclamation will expand the current proclamation which does not cover Vryburg Deeds Office which includes Mahikeng. Whilst waiting for the proclamation to be approved by the President, the SIU has investigated the matter and has worked in conjunction with the Directorate for Priority Crimes (Hawks). To date SIU has obtained affidavits and documentary evidence.
 
The SIU is preparing to conduct a criminal inquiry with the Matlosana branch of the Hawks. The House will be kept informed of progress in this investigation.

Hon Speaker, we are committed to ensure high level of ethics and good governance. The office of the Premier has amongst other things implemented the following measures to improve effective and efficient financial management:

Unauthorised expenditure

The office has through improved cash flow management in the current year under review, managed to spend its allocation as legislated.

This investment has enabled the office not to recognise any unauthorised expenditure at the end March 2017 as compared to an amount of R16, 000m which was reported at the end of 2016 financial year end.

Irregular expenditure

The total amount of R404, 400m for the periods of 2009-2015/16 was recognised in the financial records of the office.

Honourable Speaker, we wish to inform the house that the office in its endeavour to resolve these cases, the following progress has been registered:

• Internal capacity is designated to conduct investigation of the reported cases per financial year, this approach is adopted as a strategy to contribute to cost reduction as well as an effective means to transfer knowledge and skills amongst officials;
• All  cases  identified  during  the  year  under  review  have  been investigated and consequence management is implemented within the office, where officials has transgressed the law and prescripts;

• The investigation outcome from cases reported during 2015/16 financial year has revealed that, a total amount of R959, 000.00 must be de-recognised due to incorrect identification and reporting by the office. Similar cases are identified during investigation process of other transactions in the same year and beyond.

Honourable Speaker, it is critical to state that the office envisage to complete this project before end of May 2017 and the only possible cases which may remain unresolved will be those outside the authority of the Accounting Officer. We intend to introduce a Quarterly Barometer Report on how we are dealing with reported cases of crime, fraud and corruption.

Ladies & Gentlemen, if this does not practically demonstrate our commitment in theory and practice to deal with challenges of crime, greed, corruption and ethics, then we find it difficult to comprehend the continued mischievous narrative that we are soft on corruption.

Hon Speaker, as a Province we must inculcate the culture amongst all our people to reject greed and develop entrepreneurs as a way of life.
 
Honourable Members, we support clean governance and as part of the vision of Bokone-Bophirima in rebranding the Province, attention is directed towards curbing recurrence of irregular expenditure experienced by the Provincial Departments, Municipalities and State Owned Entities. Central to this initiative is the automation of the Supply Chain Management processes. This initiative will assist government to enforce governance and compliance with legislation.

The automation of Supply Chain Management processes which is the key responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer in the Office of the Premier, will inter alia benefit Government as follows:

• Addresses and eliminate Irregular and Unauthorised Expenditure
•  Eliminate Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure
•  Enforces adherence to payment of supplier within 21days period
•  Ensures that items on the procurement plan are procured on time and within the budget, and
•  Will assist management with real time monitoring of procurement plan and budget spending across the Province

Hon Speaker, it is the responsibility of the Premier to ensure that MECs as deployees execute their responsibilities to the best of their abilities and continuously strive towards the improvement of our weaknesses collectively and individually. This is the reason why we are changing the practice and mentality that Office of the Premier is simply the eleventh Department.
 
Honourable Members, the office developed the Post Audit Action Plan in response to the Auditor General findings for the 2016/17 financial year, 35 out of 42 actions (83%) has been implemented. The cases not implemented relate to the ICT transformation programme and will be achieved within the MTEF period.

Hon Speaker, the effective implementation of the post audit action plan has yielded the office the following returns:

• Payment to service providers has significantly improved, 82% and 92% of invoices were processed within 21days and 30 days respectively during the year; and
• Action plan for findings by Provincial Internal Audit was developed, and 41 out of 50 findings were implemented (82%).

Institutional Development Support

Hon Speaker, during the State of the Province Address we announced the ICT Transformation Programme. The transformation programme is intended to improve efficiencies by integrating the entire ICT value chain in order to improve ICT infrastructure in our Villages, Townships and Small Dorpies (VTSD).

This programme will facilitate access to government information and similarly government to disseminate information to the public easily. These efforts will be realised through the current roll out of integrated ICT and Communications in the province, municipalities and State Owned Entities.

Madam speaker, as part of our integrated provincial communication strategy, in the  previous  financial  year we made  a commitment  to produce a Provincial weekly government newspaper(Semphete) which would serve as a platform to inform citizens about the work of government in its entirety.

Mmusa Kgotla, I am happy to report that Semphete was produced and has been received well throughout the province for its quality and thoroughness. We know this from the feedback we receive from our people through other communication channels, including our social media platforms. We will continue to produce Semphete in the current financial year, including the Provincial partnership with The New Age.

Bagaetsho, the dynamic interaction we have had with our people through various communication platforms has strengthened contact between Government and people.

In addition to existing working relations with Provincial Radio Stations, Government will launch the Radio Network Studio this year to intensify our efforts to communicate with the public. This initiative will be rolled out in collaboration with the existing community media in the province. This communication approach will pay particular focus on the work done by Government and its leaders across all three sphere of Government.

Hon Members, we have located the development of skills relevant for the economy of the Province in the Office of the Premier under Ikatisong School of Governance.

Through this intervention, we will ensure that funding for skills development is coordinated to support core policy priorities of Government like Agriculture, Culture & Tourism (ACT) and its tributaries
like mining in order to develop competencies required to grow the economy.

Hon Members, the North West Parks Board entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the South African Wildlife College in January 2016 to train community rangers in the National Treasury Job Fund Project at the cost  of  R163 000.00  to  train  each  student R6, 5million for the duration of the course.

1.  A total of 40 students were recruited across the province and underwent an aptitude and physical selection for a week in the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve.
2.  The training commenced on the 8th of February 2016.
3.  The course ended on the 24th February 2017 and trainees commenced work in the following protected areas, Pilanesberg, Madikwe, Borakalalo, Kgaswane, Molopo, Vaalkopdam, S.A. Lombaard, Botsalano and Mahikeng Nature Reserve
4. The Field Rangers are scheduled to be welcomed by the Honorable MEC for READ today, Thursday, 11th May 2017 at 13h00 at the Mmabatho Palms.
5.  The board is in the process of finalising the signing of employment contract with each Field Ranger at the moment.

Hon Speaker, we wish to emphasise that youth in Villages, Townships and Small Dorpies will remain major beneficiaries of all interventions implemented by Government in skills development.

Hon Members, in order to strengthen Monitoring and Functionality assessment of service delivery points and advance on interventions, the Office of the   Premier  has resolved  to ensure that departments incorporate Project Khaedu in the performance agreements of all senior managers.

This will necessitate compulsory deployment of senior managers to service delivery sites across all the three spheres of government.

Deployment to the coalface through Project Khaedu will:

• Equip senior managers with basic skills for problem identification, analysis and resolution of service delivery challenges
• Ensure that realities at the coalface inform development of policies and strategies and determine implementation strategies for government programs.

Policy and Governance

Hon Speaker, the Provincial Planning Commission is a very strategic Unit in the Office of the Premier to facilitate integrated planning among the three spheres of Government in the Province. In the 201718 Financial Year, the Planning Commission will amongst others:

• Finalise the Provincial Development Plan
• Facilitate Compilation of Economic impact analysis Reports on the implementation of VTSD Plans.
•  Ensure the development of the Provincial economic growth and Development strategy.

Hon Members, in order to support the work of the  Planning Commission, we have appointed two additional Planning Commissioners Mrs Morwesi Segale-Diswai and Mr Patrick Motubatse Moshone.
 
The two Commissioners bring into the Provincial Planning Commission a wealth of knowledge and experience that will further lift up the performance and outputs of the Provincial Planning Commission.

Ladies& Gentlemen, during the year 2017/18 financial year, the Province will coordinate and engage BRICS Countries to mobilise investment and investors for the VTSD areas of Bokone-Bophirima, starting with the Brasil in June this year.

Hon Speaker, during the first quarter of 17/18 Financial Year the Office of the Premier will finalise the development of the Provincial Spatial Development Framework which is vital for transforming the current spatial development inequalities into sustainable development patterns which take cognizance of the many unique bio-physical, socio-economic and heritage features of our province.

Madam Speaker, we have strengthened monitoring and evaluation by introducing monthly performance reporting. This intervention would intensify accountability and early detection of poor performance.

The Office of the Premier is developing a holistic Provincial M&E system which will serve as a single source for reporting encompassing all Departments, APPs, municipality SDBIPS, projects and five concretes.

Hon Members, as part of supporting innovation in the Province, the Office of the Premier through North West Development Corporation in collaboration with North West University, National Technology Innovation Agency hosted the first Provincial Innovation competition. We will continue with this noble project even in the current financial year.
Madam Speaker, we are delighted to inform this August house that we have established a 24 hours Setsokotsane Call Centre during the month of July 2016.

Further, in an effort to strengthen participatory monitoring in collaboration with our communities, Office of the Premier has launched the establishment of Ward Operation Centres on the 1 March 2017 to operate in all municipalities. To date 366 Ward Operation Centres have been established, with a target to establish 407 Ward Operation Centres across the Province by end of second quarter.

Hon Speaker, through the Setsokotsane Call Centre, members of the community will continue to be afforded an opportunity on a monthly basis to engage with Members of the Executive Council directly. We will also strive during the current Financial Year to ensure that complaints registered with Setsokotsane Call Centre are resolved fully.

Hon Members, we have initiated Setsokotsane 10 Days 10 Campaigns Focus Week Programme on a monthly basis across all the 22 Municipalities. The 10 campaigns are the following:
1. Community Meetings
2. Cleaning and Environmental Activity
3. VTSD Entrepreneurship Development Engagement
4. Obesity Campaign
5.  Roads and Streets Lights Fixing
6. Payment of Rates & Taxes
7. Education
8. Crime and Corruption
9.  RHR & Saamwerk-Saamtrek
10. Water and Sanitation
 
Madam Speaker, we have produced for the first time the citizen report which highlights amongst others key achievement of the Province in the previous financial year. The following are some of the highlights of projects implemented by Government which benefited citizens of the Province:

•  221 households benefited from agricultural food security initiatives
•  Refurbishment of the Springbok Silos.
• 140 Cultural Forums have been established to leverage opportunities in the Arts & Culture Sector as part of the ACT concrete
• 17,551 housing opportunities delivered comprising 10,997 units
• 6,554 serviced sites out of a target 15 080

Hon Members, the citizen’s report is an important tool to strengthen participatory democracy. It has highlighted information gaps between Government and the community regarding service delivery projects implemented by Government in communities. The report has empowered us to put measures in place to strengthen existing communication platforms within Government to close this gap.
 
Honourable speaker, we request support and approval of the Provincial Legislature for the 2017/18 budget allocation of the Office of the Premier as follows:

 

Hon Speaker, the Office of the Premier will continue to champion societal cohesiveness through Reconciliation, Healing and Renewal (RHR) and Saamwerk-Saamtrek. We hope that as part of commemorating the Nelson Mandela Day on 18th July this year, we will adopt  the  RHR  Charter  which  will  be  assessed  annually  on  16th

December during the National Reconciliation Day. Tragic incidents like the killing of 16 year old Matlhomola Moshoeu in Coligny vindicates our decision to introduce Reconciliation, Healing and Renewal programme as an intervention to heal divisions in our communities. We have already acted as Government to establish an RHR Forum in Coligny, to be launched by the Premier this coming Friday on 12th May 2017, and address a public meeting attended by all residents of Coligny black and white. We are doing everything on our part as Government to ensure that the Forum is representative of all the people of Coligny

Hon Speaker, we all need to work together to heed the call by Oliver Reginald Tambo to; “make it is our responsibility to break down barriers of division and create a country where there will be neither Whites nor Blacks, just South Africans, free and united in diversity”.

Hon Members, let me once more conclude by reminding you of the words of James and Grace Lee Boggs on leadership:

“Revolutionary leadership is not for the fainthearted, the flamboyant, of the fly-by night, the easily flattered, the easily satisfied, or the easily intimidated, the seekers after excitement or popularity or martyrdom”.

Ke a Leboga I thank You Baie Dankie.