National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Mushaweng Municipality Hall,
Kgalagadi
27 March 2006
Programme Director
Honourable Chairperson of the NCOP- Mr MJ Mahlangu
Hon. Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP-Mme Peggy Hollander
The Honourable Speaker of the Northern Cape Legislature
The Deputy Speaker
Honourable members of the NCOP
Honourable MECs
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Mayors and councillors
Senior government officials
Representatives of different religious denominations
Traditional leaders of our people - (Mogosi a metse ya rona mo Kgalagadi le
didika tse di mabapi)
Business representatives
Distinguished guests
Baagi ba Kgalagadi le batho ba Kapa Bokone jaaka e ikadile
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Theme: All shall have equal rightsâ
It is an honour and a privilege to welcome you all this morning, on behalf
of the Northern Cape Government and the people of the province. We are
extremely delighted to be part of this event, which seeks to bring leaders
closer to our people.
The people of Kgalagadi, our rural node, are humble people who have been
ravaged by poverty, joblessness and lack of access to basic services. This area
has been a labour reserve for mines around Kuruman.
Allow presiding officers, to acknowledge with appreciation the presence of
our dignitaries who have graced us with their presence this morning. We are
humbled by your commitment and loyalty to our people with whom you will
interact with in the next five days. Your presence here is an indication that
no part of South Africa is beyond your reach. The NCOP is a true home for all
the people of all provinces.
We are truly overjoyed and humbled that we are hosting the NCOP which is
central to the entrenchment of our democratic values. By meeting and listening
to the people, you allow their voices to reverberate in our parliamentâs
corridors and thereby bring the institution of law making to the people.
I also believe that your presence here through the Parliament meets the
people programme is an unequivocal demonstration of your conviction and
commitment to our common goal of ensuring that our people benefit from the
commitments we made in the Peopleâs contract and have an opportunity to
interact with their leaders.
The Northern Cape is a province of five districts and 32 category B
municipalities. Kgalagadi is the most rural of our districts. Your visit to
Kgalagadi and Moshaweng provides us as a province an opportunity for peer
review on the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Plan, which was launched
by our President, Mr Thabo Mbeki, in July 2001.
As South Africans, the peopleâs contract unites us. The contract calls on
all of us to continue providing acceptable services to our people, this is a
right that we cannot neglect.
I also believe that through your presence here, you are reaffirming our
commitment that the rights of our people will be protected and guaranteed. This
programme, which brings together a nation offers hopes to the hopeless and
creates avenues for further interaction for matters of further development.
Our Constitution has become a cornerstone of our patriotism. It is the
framework of undoing the legacy of our divided past and improving the quality
of life.
The rights and freedoms articulated in the Freedom Charter, now form the
bedrock of our Constitution, which places an obligation on government to
protect and advance the rights of citizens.
Through this initiative we must strive to improve the quality of life of all
citizens and free the potential of each person.
Ladies and gentlemen, promoting equality and opportunities, creating a
better life for all citizens and promoting diversity and social inclusion means
engaging in transformation platforms such as this one. It means implementing
public policies directly aimed at eradicating poverty and underdevelopment.
Madam Speaker, youâll agree with me that our strength as a nation lies in
the room it gives for each and every language, culture and religion to
flourish. These have the power to unite us all.
Last week, the people of this province joined the rest of the country in
observing and commemorating the Human Rights Day event.
We are encouraged by our belief that our constitution, and its place in the
hearts of our people, is a powerful assurance that never again will South
Africa allow human rights abuse be part of our culture.
What should emerge from gatherings like these is a peculiarly community
sense that human survival, depends on mutual compassion and collective unity,
on hope and patience.
As we embark on this programme, speaking to our people, let us listen to
their inputs with compassion and consideration, let us revive the spirit of
nationhood and cooperation amongst our people and most importantly let us
inculcate the spirit of community development though Vukuzenzele
Madam Speaker, I am making this input so that we can better understand and
appreciate the significance of what we are doing here and what we hope to
achieve.
I have no doubt that the deliberations that will be held will be conducted
diligently and assiduously. I hold this belief because our people remain
hopeful that we will not fail them, they prescribe to the norms and traditions
that support the effectiveness of Ubuntu, harmony and social tranquillity.
Allow me once more, Madam Speaker, to use this opportunity to express my
deep appreciation and gratitude to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson for
their presence and for providing exceptional leadership in the creation of a
new shared national identity through such initiatives.
As the Northern Cape Government we have no doubt that this region will
benefit immensely from public education about the benefits of democracy and
dispel the myth that they are neglected by their leaders.
I wish you well in the public hearings that have been planned and hope that
our people will use the opportunity to pronounce crucial socio economic
developmental challenges they face as the people of this region.
Through such interactions we will entrench and deepen democracy in our
country and facilitate accountability of government to the people whilst
allowing our people to have a say in their government.
I am pleased that amongst the areas of focus during the next five days,
Local Governance, Social Development, Poverty Alleviation, Job Creation and the
provision of water will be the main areas that will be focused on.
Last week we announced a new bold development partnership with an
organisation from Belgium called International Economic Strategy, to executive
a wide ranging rapid economic and social development program in the Northern
Cape.
We are still facing the challenge of unemployment in the Kgalagadi district,
but we are confidant that we will honour our promise to our people and that we
will unsure a blistering pace in attacking the posted goals of job creation,
poverty reduction and economic growth. Through this international Economic
Strategy we will deploy a number of initiatives that will impact significantly
on key economic drivers in our province. Crime reduction and social engineering
will be important features of this initiative monitored by a robust and
rigorous reporting and assessment methodology.
Whilst a key focus of the IES project is diamonds and diamond-related
beneficiation, the strategy for the Northern Cape development extends far
beyond diamonds and minerals to broad-based development, job creation, poverty
reduction, education and skills development, Foreign Direct Investment and
tourism.
As the Northern Cape Government, we hold the view that along the drivers of
the economy, tourism can strongly boost job creation.
Our biggest challenge as a province remains the unacceptable high levels of
unemployment and poverty. This is compounded by communities over-relying on
social security grants such as the Disability and Child Support grants and the
unavailability of job opportunities for school leaving men and women as well as
graduates.
Young people of Kgalagadi, men and women are the main labour force for the
seasonal agriculture productions along the Orange River Basin.
Honourable Chairperson, in order to understand the importance of
transformation particularly as it relates to mining, it is important to take
into account its history in our province and in this region in particular.
There is no doubt that mining has played a very important role in the
development of our country in the past and continues to do so. Although the
benefits of mining could not be enjoyed by all citizens because of the policy
of separate development, mining remained the cornerstone of our economy.
It must nonetheless be noted as Former President Nelson Mandela observed in
1994, that our past is such that an industry, which can boast so many
achievements because of its centrality to our economy, must also portray some
of the worst of our society. This area needs our undivided attention in
relation to rehabilitation of the Asbestos mine dumps and provision of health
services to victims of exposure to asbestos related diseases.
Although this region contributed towards the industrial revolution in mining
and remains one of the major world contributors of iron ore and manganese,
there is very little for the people of this district to show off. This industry
is still characterised by a disproportionate level of representation of black
people in the ownership and control of franchise businesses.
Nonetheless, the developments around the transformation of the management
structure at Kumba Resources encourage us to acknowledge that this industry has
made some progress in an attempt to address some of the challenges facing our
society. It is for this reason that we continue to value the importance and
centrality of the mining industry in our society.
Be it as it may, the history of the mining sector in our province calls for
robust transformation in the current phase of governance. Over and above this,
the most encouraging of all, is the commitment of mining companies to the
Mining Transformation Charter.
As the Provincial Government we have demonstrated our commitment to continue
working with mining companies to foster and encourage Black Economic
Empowerment and transformation at the tiers of ownership, management, skills
development, employment equity, procurement and rural development.
Madam Speaker, this Parliament Meets the People programme provides us with a
rare opportunity to set the pace for further integrated planning and the
implementation of many developmental initiatives.
In the Northern Cape more that anywhere in the country, we need devoted men
and women who will bring together this common vision and create opportunities
for our people.
Honourable Chairperson and members of the NCOP, to me your visit fulfils the
wish of so many of our people in this area who voted for us to lead them out of
poverty and pave the way to a better life.
I thank you.
Ke ya leboga.
Baie dankie.
Ndiyabulela.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
27 March 2006
