Provincial Legislature, the Legislature, Mafikeng
14 November 2006
Madam Speaker, Honourable Thandi Modise
Deputy Speaker, Honourable George Madoda
Honourable Members
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
We have come to the end of yet another very momentous and fruitful year in
the execution of the mandate of the North West Provincial Legislature. I would
like to take this opportunity to congratulate this House and express the
appreciation of the executive arm of government for the successful and
outstanding manner in which you have discharged your responsibilities during
the year.
Certain highlights in this legislative year do stand out and I would
therefore like to recall them here. We began the year on a high note of the Age
of Hope as we opened the Legislature and delivered our State of the Province
Address on 10 February 2006. No sooner had we set the tone for the Government's
Programme of Action for 2006 then we hosted the country's Second Citizen when
this Legislature was addressed by the Deputy President of the Republic of South
Africa, Honourable Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
We are also very proud to highlight the National Youth Parliament on our
calendar where the Provincial Legislature sent the largest and most
representative delegation to National Assembly. By all accounts, ours was one
of the best prepared, most visible and best behaved of all the Legislatures
present.
Following on that, the Legislature sent a delegation of 22 to the Women's
Parliament, itself preceded by workshops throughout the province. We noted
also, Madam Speaker, that you selected once more a fairly representative group
of women to National Assembly in August. Led by the very Honourable Speaker,
these women then came back to this chamber to present to this House and
Honourable Members not only their experiences but what they had learnt in the
process.
Madam Speaker, participative democracy has become an inalienable ethos of
our governance and administration. Hence the successful holding of the People's
Assembly this year, preceded as is custom now by workshops throughout the
province.
Once again, this Legislative House selected as representative a group as
diverse as possible from women in the rural areas, to children on farms and
people with disabilities. While 15 of these representatives went to Oudsthoorn
in the Western Cape, 15 remained here in the province. I must therefore thank
the Legislature for ensuring at all times that ours is a consultative and
participatory democracy that draws its strength from the diverse people who
make our North West province and for ensuring that our representatives are
adequately prepared.
Madam Speaker and Deputy Speaker, I would like to express our appreciation
for the sound inter-governmental relations that have come to define our
workings as separate spheres of government. In this regard we note with pride
the inter-governmental co-operation during both the People with Disabilities
Parliament and the Older Persons' Parliament, where among other things over 1
000 older persons from all over the province took part.
I am therefore proud to say that our democracy is strengthened each day and
that our inter-governmental relations are becoming sounder and sounder. In
addition, it has become very clear that these sectoral parliaments serve to
cement our resolve to make participatory democracy a lived reality and an
integral part of governance.
Madam Speaker, allow me to note two other landmarks in this successful year
of our legislature. These took place during the Taung floods as well as the
debate in this House on the contentious issue of Toro ya Africa. Whereas the
Taung floods demonstrated for all to see that our law-makers are not occupants
of an Ivory Tower building by visibly taking an oversight visit to the disaster
area, take stock of the state of affairs and suggest a comprehensive
intervention by government, the Toro ya Africa debate demonstrated our
collective resolve to debate thoroughly and possible resolve even the most
contentious of issues.
Finally, I must thank the Legislature, the Honourable Speaker and Deputy
Speaker as well as Honourable Members for exceeding themselves in the execution
of their oversight role. Your work has ensured that our democracy is enriched
and deepened. I thank you most profoundly for keeping the executive on its toes
as it were and I am certain that together we will continue next year to advance
our democracy and governance as we deliver on our historical mandate of
building a better life for all citizens of the North West province.
I would like to wish all of you and your families a well deserved break, a
Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I must conclude by reiterating the
message of government during this festive season: Arrive Alive, Don't Drink and
Drive and be considerate on our roads and respect other road users.
I thank you.
Issued by: North West Provincial Legislature
14 November 2006
