commissioning of the Madikwe sisal Project, Madikwe
26 August 2006
Programme Directors
Minister in the Office of the Presidency, Dr Essop Pahad
North West MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Honourable Darkey
Africa
Executive Mayor of the Bojanala Platinum District, Councillor Motsepe
Mayor of the Moses Kotane Local Municipality, Councillor Molelekeng
Mayors and councillors
Kgosi G R Gasebone and all our esteemed traditional leaders present
The community of Madikwe
Bakwena Boo-Morare
Ba gaetsho dumelang!
I am greatly honoured to welcome all of you here in Madikwe and I would like
to extend a special word of welcome to our honoured guest, the Minister in the
Presidency Dr Essop Pahad.
It is truly a special day and occasion for the community of Madikwe, the
people and government of the North West Province, because we form part of a
rare community of nations that are able to produce sisal. These countries
include Brazil, Cuba and Mexico in South America, as well as Kenya and Tanzania
in East Africa. For those among us who may not be aware, sisal fibre has been
used in South Africa for many decades, dating back from the 1960s. Although its
production has been characterised by fluctuations, the sisal fibres have had a
considerable impact on the available markets for raw material for the
manufacture of ropes and twines.
The quality of South African grown sisal is graded according to
International Sisal Grading Regulations which are universally accepted and our
sisal fibre is of such a high quality that it is well received on the world
markets. As a matter of fact, judging by the demand for South African sisal on
the world markets, we have reason to be filled with optimism that the
commissioning of this Sisal Project is good news for the communities of Madikwe
and the North West Province.
Particularly important for growing our economy and sharing in that growth,
it is pleasing to note that sisal is essentially a labour-intensive crop. We
promote sisal in our province and indeed in our country as a job creation
agricultural activity in the more depressed, arid and remote areas of our land.
We therefore hope to succeed remarkably in the provision of jobs to the Madikwe
community at the height of the local sisal fibre production. Like Brazil, we
have realised the value of sisal as an excellent crop and a vital industry,
while at the same time providing much-needed employment opportunities in our
more remote regions. We believe that in a province where the provision of jobs
is such a vital priority and where the necessity for development of small
entrepreneurships is so critical, sisal growing is a much welcome
development.
Our province is among those regions with a high prevalence of unemployment.
Therefore at the kernel of pursuing the implementation of the goals of
Integrated Rural Sustainable Development, our province is committed to
utilising natural resources like sisal as a basis for rural economies to grow.
In particular, the revival of the Madikwe Sisal Project is one of the key
community-based projects currently initiated by our Department of Economic
Development and Tourism and bringing together as it does such partners as the
Moses Kotane Local Municipality, the National Development Agency (NDA), the
Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), the local traditional authorities
and the departments of Agriculture, Social Development and Science and
Technology.
We believe the Madikwe Sisal Project has a real potential to turn around the
local economy of the Madikwe village by creating sustainable job opportunities
for mostly our youth and women from the local communities. It is a project that
has the potential to create a spin-off of small businesses manufacturing a wide
range of sisal-based products including bag papers, thin wrapping papers, wood
free thin printing and Bible papers, cigarette, carbon, safety, bank notes,
filter and tea bag papers.
It is therefore a very important occasion today and the commissioning of
this project is the last step of the Madikwe Sisal Project Management that must
now link project implementation to project operations. We are most delighted to
have reached this stage. The Madikwe Sisal Project is welcome; it is timely and
much needed by our people.
So without further ado, allow me to bring on stage our keynote speaker, a
leader of government who needs no introduction to you, Minister Essop
Pahad.
I thank you.
Issued by: North West Provincial Government
26 August 2006
