the North West Provincial Legislature by Premier BEE Molewa
10 February 2006
Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Legislature
Colleagues in the Executive Council
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature
Honourable Members of Parliament
Judge President and Members of the Judiciary
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Executive Mayors, Mayors and Speakers
Our Honoured Traditional Leaders
Heads of our Security Agencies
Resident Public Service Commissioner,
Director General and Heads of Departments
Chief Executive Officers of the State-Owned Enterprises
Leaders of Civil Society, Faith-Based Organisations, NGOâs, Business and the
Labour Movement
Honoured Guests and Comrades
Fellow South Africans
In our midst today, as well as in our spirits, we have a number of ordinary
yet distinguished citizens of our province whom we would like to single out for
special recognition. We refer here to, inter alia:
Mme Ruth Mompati, a distinguished mother of our province and a stalwart of
the Liberation Movement and one of leaders of the Womenâs March to the Union
Buildings in 1956.
Mme Mpho Motlhasedi-Sibanyoni, who is the recipient of the Order of Baobab
in recognition of her outstanding community service in the area of Health and
Home-Based Care Justice Baaitse Nkabinde, the second woman to be appointed as a
Judge of the Constitutional Court from the North West (joining Justice Yvonne
Mokgoro) Rre Rex Rabanye, who put our country and province firmly on the world
music map during difficult times Rre Presley Chweneyagae, a son of Mafikeng and
a leading actor in the popular local movie Tsotsi, whose cast we hope will
bring home an Oscar Award Professor Wannie Carstens, Chairperson of the
Provincial Language Board Mme Anna Ratshikane, our Woman Farmer of the year
2005 Dr Sam Motswenyane, a dedicated community leader, distinguished
businessman and pioneer of our Black Economic Empowerment.
Mme-Mmusakgotla, puo ya rona ya gompieno yare puso e ya batho e tsene mo
tshimong e semeletse. Gore ga le goroga letlhafula, re seka ra galala maru a
pula, rotlhe re kgone go kotula. Go jala gone re jetse, ka se se sebaka re a
nosetsa, mme re koba yona fela thaga. Ke ka moo re nang le tsholofelo ya gore
legwetla ga le goroga, re tla itse go baakanya mebele ka legodu, lenyora re le
ntshe ka matute a legapu.
Die lugruim van Noordwes versamel sy reënwolke, reënwolke wat die wanhoop
uit ons oë verwyder, die Gode van logika in Afrika het hierdie seisoen na ons
gebede geluister. Reeds is die dors van die Molopo besig om geles te Word, juis
omdat ons menswees geweier het om van wanhoop te bewe.
The skies of North West have gathered clouds, clouds that erase from our
eyes the prevalence of doubts, the African gods of reason have listened to our
prayers this season, they have begun to quench the thirst of the Molopo River,
precisely because there is hope, our being refuses to quiver.
We refuse to quiver Madam Speaker because, as we track the promising state
of this platinum province, we are occasioned to scope the confluence of
possibility and hope.
This confluence of possibility and hope poses for our gathering here today
to be a meeting of historical significance. That as we converge to open our
North West Provincial Legislature and set the tone and rhythm for our
Government this year in our State of the Province Address, we are reminded of
the inspiration we draw from the major anniversaries we will be celebrating in
2006.
This year marks amongst others, the Centenary of the Bhambatha Rebellion,
the 50th Anniversary of the Womenâs March to the Union Buildings, the 30th
Anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprisings and the 10th Anniversary of the
adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa in 1996.
We believe that it will be important to remind our people that according to
our Constitution: âThe Republic of South Africa is one, sovereign, democratic
state founded on the values of human dignity, the achievement of equality and
the advancement of human rights and freedomsâ.
Madam Speaker, this Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic; any law
or conduct inconsistent with the Constitution remains invalid, and the
obligations that the Constitution imposes should and must be fulfilled.
Guided by its prescripts, the effective sum total of all these milestones on
the life and character of our society has been to ensure that we surge forward
unabated to address the challenges that include poverty, unemployment and
underdevelopment that have been the legacy of our particular history.
This history places on all our shoulders the responsibility of building an
equal, prosperous and humane society based on the principles of our
Constitution, democracy, human rights, justice, the rule of law and absolute
respect for women and children.
It is a history that continues to steer us firmly, decisively and
irrevocably towards a non-racist, non-sexist, democratic and a free South
Africa, united in her diversity.
Throughout these years, as borne out by the anniversaries, the conscious and
organised masses of all our people have been and must continue to be the makers
of this history. The people will and must continue to be the guarantors of our
freedom and democratic governance.
Thus, on an august occasion such as this, we take this opportunity to call
on all our people of the North West Province to assume their rightful role in
the strengthening of our democratic system by participating in the Local
Government Elections set for March 1st 2006. As a matter of civic duty, these
elections will allow all South Africans to elect leaders of their own choice.
We want to particularly appeal to the youth to make their mark, so as to make
their voices heard.
We are very delighted to report that last year Parliament passed legislation
intended to reconfigure a number of municipal boundaries in the best interests
of all our people. In essence, this reconfiguration resulted in the abolition
of the cross-boundary municipalities, thus eliminating uncertainty and
confusion among the affected communities regarding accountability for service
delivery.
I fully recognise and acknowledge some of the critical issues the people of
Khutsong have raised, and commit the Provincial Government to address these
concerns comprehensively. In this regard, I welcome them as part of our
collective resource and urge them to join us in addressing challenges they have
raised recently and many we may confront in the future, all with the view to
rebuild Khutsong.
We will prioritise Khutsong in our efforts to build cohesion and engender a
new developmental consciousness to build our locality, working closely with the
Gauteng Government and other stakeholders.
To these communities who will be joining both Gauteng and Northern Cape, we
are very grateful for the manner and commitment in which you have deployed your
collective abilities and expertise to address your challenges. I personally
know that your resourcefulness is not lost to us, but will benefit the national
effort to build better communities and a winning nation, irrespective of the
space from which you will soon define yourself.
Madam Speaker, we have flown where eagles dare! We opened the North West
Province for evaluation by ordinary and sophisticated citizens/people as part
of the national process of the APRM (African Peer Review Mechanism).
The purpose of the APRM, among other things, is âTo foster the adoption of
policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high
economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and
continental economic integration through sharing of experiences and
reinforcement of successful and best practice, including identifying
deficiencies and assessing the needs of capacity buildingâ.
Cross-sectoral workshops for women, the aged, youth, people with
disabilities and the business community were arranged by A re Ageng, our
provincial NEDLAC-styled organisation. This approach was re-enforced by
volunteers and the Community Development Workers whose role was to conduct
group and individual door-to-door interviews.
Madam Speaker, this process was aimed at reaching all possible stakeholders
in the province, particularly the grass-root masses of our people. It further
ensured that all areas within which expertise exists amongst line-function
Departments and local government stakeholders were obtained and incorporated in
the report. We are therefore satisfied with the process so far and we believe
that it ensured the necessary glare to which ordinary citizens must put our
system of governance.
Our APRM Provincial Consultative Report alludes to the fact that as a
province we largely performed well in terms of the process. If indeed the
report is anything to go by, as we believe it is, we are confident that our
message of hope is by no means a mirage.
We take this opportunity to thank all of the following participants: Civil
society, labour, business and political parties who actively participated in
this review process, namely the ANC, Freedom Front Plus and UCDP.
Madam Speaker, as people of the Platinum Province we are inspired today
because the skies of the North West have gathered clouds, clouds that erase
from our eyes the prevalence of doubts, the African gods of reason have
listened to our prayers this season.
Whilst we acknowledge that there are still challenges of poverty,
joblessness and underdevelopment, we are nonetheless delighted to report that
much has been achieved and our government continues to register progress in
critical areas.
We have ensured that to date, more people have access to clean water,
sanitation, and electricity in their homes. More people have gained access to
housing, land, education and health care. The services in places like
hospitals, clinics, courts, and police stations are improving.
We continue to promote the interests of children, persons with disabilities,
youth, women and older people better than before. Today more people have
opportunities to improve their lives, to become educated and acquire skills to
help build a better North West, a better South Africa and a better world.
Still on the issues that immediately reflect our horizon of hope, our
economy continues to grow buoyantly, thus creating more jobs and enabling us to
reduce the levels of poverty.
The North West Province recorded an economic growth rate of 4,9% during
2004, following a growth rate of 4,5% the previous year, 2003. We are grateful
that our growth levels of 4.9% places us in a similar position as big provinces
like KwaZulu-Natal.
This growth trajectory is within our commitment to grow our economy by 6% or
more, and contribute to our national effort for economic growth, development
and national prosperity in line with our Provincial Growth Development Strategy
(PGDS) and in support of Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South
Africa (ASGI-SA).
In 2004, the largest industries in the economy in terms of their
contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) were mining and quarrying
industries (24,9%), the finance, real estate and business services (13,6%) and
the general government services sector (12,1%). The electricity, gas and water
industries had the lowest contribution (1, 0%) to our GDP.
In the same vein we must acknowledge the unfortunate decline in agriculture
which is one of our critical economic sectors in its contribution to the GDP.
Whilst we are acutely aware that this decline is part of a national downward
trend, in the province we are exploring ways and means of turning the situation
around for our economic benefit.
As we know this sector is characterized by challenges and certain
externalities. We will continue to deploy our resources in this sector to boost
rural development and assist both commercial and emerging farmers.
Madam Speaker, it is important to mention that part of this growth of our
economy can be attributed to the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy
(PGDS) which was launched on the 7th of July 2005, during which time we also
appointed Members of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC).
The PGDS constitutes a comprehensive âRoadmapâ of where the province should
be heading towards so that, amongst others, we halve unemployment and poverty
as stated in our Vision 2014.
The strategy further identifies detailed annual targets for economic growth,
investments, job creation and skills development to be achieved in every
economic sector and in each district in the province. The PGDS also spells out
the funding implications of these targets and the suggested contributions by
all three spheres of government and the private sector for these goals and
objectives to be realised.
We welcome ASGI-SA, pronounced by President Thabo Mbeki as a model to
address shortcomings in the economy. ASGI-SA enjoins both the private and
public sectors to share the responsibility of growing the economy to address
the challenges of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment in our
country.
ASGI-SA is structured around the following key interventions:
* Bulk infrastructure investments through all three spheres of Government,
State Owned Enterprises and Public-Private Partnerships;
* Immediate, top and medium priority investments in specially selected sectors
of the economy;
* The building of Human Capital from very basic primary school infrastructure
to tertiary education level
* Provision for a Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition
(JIPSA);
* Special focused Second Economy Interventions that incorporate youth, women
and people with disabilities in sector investment strategies, massification of
the Expanded Public Works Programme, Small Micro and Medium Enterprises
promotion and Micro credit facilities; and
* Strengthening Governance and Institutional arrangements for delivery.
Through our PGDS we are well positioned to exceptionally share in ASGI-SA
and contribute as a province to the realisation of the target of a 6% economic
growth per annum.
The province is targeting as its contribution to ASGI-SA the following
Special High Impact programmes:
The Taung Development Programme, which essentially entails the launching of
an Integrated Development Programme focused on the Taung Irrigation Scheme, the
Modimong poverty relief initiative, the Taung dam tourism potential and the
development of the Taung Child Skull World Heritage Site.
The Mafikeng Industrial Development Initiative, which includes among
others
The Western Frontier Cattle Beneficiation Initiative, which is basically a
programme to exploit the tremendous cattle breeding and export potential of the
Western Corridor with Vryburg as a base, but would potentially also link
closely with the Taung developments and the Mafikeng airport.
The Central BioâDiesel Project, which is an initiative based on the fuel and
other by-products from seeds containing a high oil content from particular
trees. These seeds refined through a process of esterfication, produce
bio-diesel, and a host of up- and down-stream products.
The Mining Supply and Industrial Park, which programme entails the
establishment of a mining goods and service warehouse and delivery park at a
location convenient for most mining companies around Rustenburg with the aim to
benefit optimally from local and BEE preferential procurement opportunities
offered by the Mining Charter.
These programmes are multi-year projects some of whom have already begun,
while others will be started soon.
The Asset management project, which largely looks at the design and
implementation of a structured asset management programme to ensure that the
existing asset base of the province is protected and fully utilised over its
productive and economic life cycle.
The Infrastructure Delivery for Spatial Development Initiatives, which
basically are aimed at exploiting the locality advantages of the province and
its proximity to the Gauteng metropolis by strengthening existing growth
development axis as far as possible into the province.
An initiative is underway to begin a comprehensive programme and project
management capacity training programme at the North West University to respond
to the challenges identified by the PGDS.
Both our social partners and the private sector responded positively to the
challenge of making a contribution in mobilising external resources in support
of the PGDS and to assist government in performing its role and function more
effectively and efficiently. The DBSA has already offered technical and
financial support for several projects including an amount of R80m to assist
the bucket eradication programme.
Indeed, none shall dare contest our assertion when we say the season of hope
is upon us; for the African gods of reason have listened to our prayers this
season, they have begun to quench the thirst of the Molopo River precisely
because there is hope, our being refuses to quiver.
Madam Speaker, the North West Provincial Youth Commission together with
Umsobomvu Youth Fund and all our departments will have to speedily implement
the comprehensive National Youth Service Programme as dictated by ASGI-SA. This
year as we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the June 16 uprising, we will
ensure that the focus on youth development is intensified. This work will also
include the setting up of youth co-operatives throughout the province.
Madam Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen, with regard to bridging the gap between
the first and second economies through, among others, the Expanded Public Works
Programme (EPWP), the Modimola project is in full swing. Phase 2 of this
project consists of rural road construction, road reserve maintenance,
on-bicycle route patrols for stray animals and small bridges.
The third phase of the farming project will commence in the new financial
year and will nurture 30 sustainable commercial young black farmers. We believe
this is a good example of integrated service delivery among three spheres of
government.
With the experienced gained in the Modimola EPWP, we have replicated the
project at Modimong in Bophirima, with even bigger massification qualities
which include road construction and household food security.
The EPWP in the whole managed to create 12 937 job opportunities for our
people. The Social Sector alone created 4 024 job opportunities and
infrastructural development sector 8 202 job opportunities, whilst the
environmental sector created 711 jobs.
We continue to upgrade, reseal and construct our roads in different areas of
our province. This includes paving of gravel roads in our rural areas, which
work is done through labour-intensive mechanisms to the benefit of many of our
young people and women.
We are happy to report remarkable improvements in our roads infrastructure,
with about 60 km upgraded from gravel to paved roads in 2005 alone. 1 300 km of
the provincial road network was successfully transferred in 2005 to the South
African National Roads Agency.
In 2006, we plan to upgrade another 100 km from gravel to paved. Our roads
infrastructure programme this year will continue constructing, upgrading,
resealing and rehabilitation of our roads.
We are in the final stage of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme. During May
2006 we will finalise the process of verifying vehicles and routes as well as
allocating Operating Licenses to successful applicants.
The second phase of this process, which is to register operators who intend
to exit the industry, will begin as soon as the National Department of
Transport makes available all systems of scrapping and registration to the
province.
In line with our commitment to support SMMEs, we are happy to announce that
we have opened 3 Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) Offices in
Bophirima and Mafikeng. These offices have already assisted a number of our
budding entrepreneurs. We will this year continue with the integration of our
Entrepreneurial Support Centres (ESCs) products with those of SEDA.
As indicated last year one of our major banks of South Africa, ABSA Bank,
has agreed to establish a joint incubator fund for these SMMEs over a period of
three years. We will also be starting a process of establishing Enterprise
Information Centres (EICs) in each municipality.
Madam Speaker, Agriculture continues to play a critical role in the economy
of the North West Province. We are grappling with the challenges faced by the
Department of Agriculture and over the last few months we have had extensive
consultations in an attempt to address them.
We have put in place plans to improve performance on expenditure before the
end of this financial year. These plans are being rolled out, as projects are
being implemented with great pace and speed. Part of the plan was discussed
with the National Department of Agriculture to re-schedule the implementation
cycle of projects to June 2006. This will give adequate time for proper
spending and effective management. We will ensure that we monitor the situation
on a monthly basis.
Madam Speaker, as part of providing comprehensive social security to our
communities, our government continues to link all eligible people to social
grants. For the past years, the number of beneficiaries of social grants and
food parcels has grown. We recognize the positive impact the grants are
making.
However, we are concerned about the growing numbers and one of the
interventions we will make is to look critically at the impact of these grants
in the lives of the people.
The Social Indaba that was due to take place last year will be convened this
year. This is to allow Government and other stakeholders time to consider other
sustainable options and develop a qualitative strategy to address poverty and
potential growing dependence on social grants.
Madam Speaker, with regard to the implementation of the Comprehensive Care,
Management & Treatment of HIV and AIDS, including ART (ARV), the province
will continue to expand the accredited sites to ensure access to treatment for
those who need it.
We are heartened to report a relative drop in HIV and AIDS prevalence from
29% in 2003 to 26% in 2005. It pleases us that this decline in prevalence and
infection is recorded among our youth between the ages of 15 and 24.
Madam Speaker, as part of revitalising hospitals and building of clinics, we
wish to report that to date two hospitals in Moses Kotane and Swartruggens have
been completed. Hospitals in Brits and Vryburg are being constructed and work
is proceeding well. We are fast-tracking our clinic construction project.
Expenditure in this regard has improved but will require close monitoring.
Madam Speaker, we wish to report that we have appointed a total of 4999
community health workers (CHWs), some of whom will become fully fledged CHWs
once they are trained in the generalist CHW curriculum.
Our province has indeed entered the Age of Hope.
The Primary School Nutrition Programme will ensure that our learners do not
have to study on empty stomachs. We will therefore direct the two affected
departments of Education and Social Development to work out modalities of
focusing on the farm school child. This will be done in line with the national
policy. As a province we will also critically look at possibilities of
including in the envelope those needy children that may be prejudiced by being
in certain grades.
Madam Speaker, as part of addressing substance and drug abuse among our
learners, training has been done in 480 schools, both primary and secondary. We
will continue to implement this programme while at the same time monitoring the
impact of the previous intervention.
With regard to the development of skilled educators and learners in the
areas of Maths and Science in particular, within the context of our national
policy on Science and Technology, we will intensify the Africa Drive
Project.
On the implementation of Early Childhood Development (ECD), we have
developed a comprehensive plan to integrate the ECD into the public schools
programme. The current focus is in the incorporation of Grade R into public
primary schools and the expansion of the outreach of integrated ECD services. A
transfer payment has been made to 340 ECD practitioners.
Our onslaught on illiteracy will continue on all fronts, including our
programmes on Adult Basic Education and Training.
Madam Speaker, we announced last year the establishment of a school similar
to the Onkgopotse Tiro Comprehensive School. We wish to report that we have
completed merging 11 schools to establish Moedwil Comprehensive School. Plans
are afoot to introduce a mode of transport that will cater for our children in
these schools. We will continue with our Scholar transport programme that
caters for pupils in our farm and rural schools. The Departments of Transport
and Education will finalise the strategy for multimodal transport.
In addressing the 25% and 35% backlog on infrastructure provisioning and
maintenance, 20 new schools and 10 extensions to the existing schools will all
have been completed by July 2006.
From a total of 69 new schools and 199 extensions needed, 26 new schools and
8 extensions will commence in the ensuing financial year 2006 / 07. Out of 418
schools needing new toilets, 90 have been provided for in this financial year
and out of 731 schools needing major and minor renovations, 44 projects will be
completed by 31 March 2006 and 50 will be carried out in the 2006 / 07
financial year.
Out of the 26 schools we committed to build, 13 have been completed and the
remaining 13 will be completed by July 2006. Although we concede that the
challenges of the School Infrastructure provisioning will remain with us for a
longer time than expected, due to the mobility and agility of our communities,
we will continue with our programme of building schools and maintaining those
that need attention.
Indeed, none shall dare contest our assertion when we say the season of hope
is upon us; for:
* The African gods of reason have listened to our prayers this season,
* They have begun to quench the thirst of the Molopo River
* Precisely because there is hope, our being refuses to quiver
Madam Speaker, as a province that takes pride in its heritage we will
continue to promote the North West Province as a heritage destination of
choice. In this regard, the Kraaipan Museum in Ratlou Municipality will be
constructed through the National Youth Service Programme, where a considerable
number of young people will be involved.
We have developed procedures, system for the optimal management quality
assurance and product development of craft projects and products. We have done
this to consolidate the development of our craft sector into a formidable
industry. Among other measures, alternative land for the Mogwase Craft Centre
has been allocated and the municipalityâs architectural plans will be ready
this year.
Madam Speaker, the worldâs biggest soccer showpiece, the FIFA World Cup
2010, is fast approaching our shores. We call on our Provincial 2010 team to
mobilise all our people in particular the SMMEs to identify the ensuing
business opportunities.
We will continue to support local soccer initiatives, building sports
facilities and focusing on our young talent as part of building a stronger
national team. All these efforts must ensure that the legacy of the 2010 Soccer
World Cup lives beyond the tournament for the people of the province.
Last year we committed ourselves to continuing to pay particular attention
to the strengthening of our local government system. To this effect, we
introduced Project Consolidate and targeted seventeen (17) municipalities for
assistance for a period of two years ending December 2006.
Project Consolidate has registered huge successes in all identified projects
and all these were completed in record time. It has also demonstrated that
coordination of 3 spheres of government lends to effective service delivery to
our people.
Indeed, we have developed a plan to make government work better for the
people. A comprehensive programme has been developed to support and strengthen
our local government system beyond Project Consolidate. We will make Ward
Committees more effective by strengthening popular participation by our people
in their local structures. Our plan for local government does not include
laziness, arrogance or corruption.
As part of President Thabo Mbekiâs call to eradicate the bucket system in
all existing formal settlements by 2007, we have identified five municipalities
that still have sanitation backlogs. These are Mamusa, Maquassi Hills,
Ditsobotla, Tswaing and Lekwa Teemane.
We commit, for the coming financial year, R100m to eradicate the bucket
system and provide other sanitation requirements such as upgrading of existing
infrastructure in the above five municipalities.
In extending services to our people, out of 300 Community Development
Workers, we will deploy the first batch to all our 21 municipalities in April
and the second batch will be deployed in May 2006. We expect these committed
cadres of reconstruction to assist us by being good agents to unblock service
delivery bottle-necks in the municipalities where they exist.
We will also ensure the strengthening and capacitating of our Multi Purpose
Community Centres (MPCCs) to improve our peopleâs access to Government
services. As we begin the process of implementing the Second Generation of
MPCCs in the province, we will simultaneously continue to assess the
performance and functionality of our existing MPCCs. This we will do as part of
our concerted effort to make the necessary interventions to ensure that the
MPCC programme delivers as envisaged.
We remain confident that, working together with our municipalities and
traditional leaders, we will be able to meet the Presidential deadline of at
least one MPCC per local municipality by 2014. It is important that every
citizen of this province should be able to access government services and
information in their local municipality.
Not only will this shorten the distance between government and the people,
it will also be responding to our historical pledge that we will not consider
our liberation achieved and democracy complete unless the distance between the
government and the people has been bridged.
Madam Speaker, all social scientists are in agreement that the three basic
needs of a human being are food, clothes and shelter. With regard to shelter we
will continue to provide decent shelter for our people by, among others,
dealing with the housing backlogs.
Two Pilot Projects are currently underway in Rustenburg and Matlosana as
part of our Human Settlement Programme. This programme is aimed at ensuring
integrated and sustainable human settlement and effective housing delivery to
our people. Our target is to build 10 000 housing units in these two projects
for this financial year.
Our government is also seized with the critical responsibility to build
safer communities. This year we will intensify all our campaigns and programmes
aimed at building safe, supportive and moral communities.
We will pay particular attention to strengthening our Community Policing
Forums, protecting our women and children, fighting domestic violence and
reducing incidents of crime within the broader revitalisation process of our
Moral Regeneration Movement.
We remain confident of the effective contribution by our criminal justice
system, members of our law enforcement agencies as well as other support
services in building safer communities. Our crime statistics tell a story of a
steady decline in all crimes against a person. For instance, murder went down
by 7% from 2004/5, while common robbery registered a decline of 15%. Property
related crime also went down, with stock theft declining by 27% and illegal
possession of firearms and ammunition dropping by 16%.
We have established a Provincial Anti-Corruption Forum. In its early days it
is proving to be effective. The next stage in this development is to align its
work with other existing agencies such as the Forensic Unit.
Madam Speaker, our efforts to use the Performance Management and Development
System (PMDS) to support accelerated service delivery are starting to bear
fruit. All Provincial Departments are now implementing the system for purposes
of improving service delivery.
However, we believe that the challenges associated with the PMDS can never
be overcome in one year. We will therefore continue to multiply our efforts in
this regard. We will also be conducting a skills audit of all senior managers
of all our departments.
Nevertheless, as part of acknowledging the tireless efforts made by members
of the public service in different departments, we have recently held a
resoundingly successful Premierâs Public Service Excellence Awards
Ceremony.
We have revitalised these awards so that they will continuously be used as
one of the performance management instruments, not only to reward good
performance on service delivery and commitment to the Batho Pele principles,
but also to lend true meaning to our quest for Service Excellence for a Better
Life.
This better life must extend to all members of our society, including the
disabled communities. We therefore wish to report to this august House that we
have established a Provincial Disability Forum, which has already started to
engage our departments with regard to issues affecting people with
disabilities.
Honourable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, central to the attainment of
effective service delivery is financial management. We wish to report that the
roll-out of a supply chain management policy was successfully implemented
through the requisite delegations, capacity support and training. We are still
committed to ensuring that the procurement of goods and services in government
must advance our goals of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment.
We are continuing with our roll-out of financial training to all
departments. We will be extending the training to our municipalities in the
province.
We have been greatly encouraged by a remarkable improvement across all
Departments on their annual reports and audited financial statements. We can
proudly say that the fiscal belt in the North West Province is certainly
tightening.
Writing in his seminal book The End of Poverty, Jeffrey Sachs, economist and
special advisor to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, asks a critical
question: How can we make the end of poverty happen in our lifetime?
Indeed, after spending more than 20 years working with Heads of States,
finance and health ministers as well as local people in dozens of countries in
all parts of the world, Sachs is able to come to the conclusion that âending
poverty is about making the right choices â choices that can lead to a much
safer world based on a true reverence and respect for human life. I have
gradually come to understand,â Sachs continues, âthe awesome power in our
generationâs hands to end the massive suffering of the extreme poor and thereby
to make our lives safer and better in the process.â
Madam Speaker, we are that generation on whose shoulders Sachs put the
eradication of poverty. Nothing convinces us that we will not succeed in this
fight against poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment. This year marks yet
another onslaught on poverty by the North West Provincial Government we are
privileged to lead. We hope that all our programmes will give meaning and
direction to this call made by Jeffrey Sachs.
We also believe that our programmatic response to all the challenges we have
mapped out will find concrete expression in issues we have raised in our
provincial implementation of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for
South Africa (ASGI-SA). This is so that as a province we make a choice, as
Sachs points out, to end poverty and champion the needs and aspirations of our
people.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to conclude with a story of a man who died and
went to heaven. Upon arrival there, he asked to be taken on a guided tour of
the place. One angel volunteered for the task. The guide took a man into a long
corridor where through a hatch on the wall, the man saw people in hell.
These people were seating at table on which there was an abundance of all
types of delicious-looking foods. The man looked closely and saw that the
people in hell were very undernourished and looked very hungry. He looked
closely again and realised that all the people, without exception had short
arms and next to the food were very long spoons.
The tour went on until, in a similar setting, he saw some people in heaven.
They also had short arms and next to the food were very long spoons. But there
was a difference! These people looked well-fed and healthy and happy. The man
turned to his guide and said: Surely this sight is similar to the one in hell?
How come these people are well fed and happy? The guide replied: The difference
between us here in heaven and them in hell is that we in heaven have learnt how
to feed each other here.
With this anecdote I would like to make an impassioned plea to every sector
of our society; the youth, women, people with disabilities, organised labour,
business, the religious community, traditional leadership and the farming
community to join in our efforts of creating a better life for all. After all
one dialogue is better than two monologues.
Mme-Mmusakgotla, puo ya rona ya gompieno yare puso e ya batho e tsene mo
tshimong e semeletse. Gore ga le goroga letlhafula, re seka ra galala maru a
pula, rotlhe re kgone go kotula. Go jala gone re jetse, ka se se sebaka re a
nosetsa, mme re koba yona fela thaga. Ke ka moo re nang le tsholofelo ya gore
legwetla ga le goroga, re tla itse go baakanya mebele ka legodu, lenyora re le
ntshe ka matute a legapu.
Ka a mafoko ka ba ka gopola, aga Otladisang( mo bukeng ya Molodi wa
Setswana), mafoko ga a boka lona letlhafula, are:
Goroga moratwa ke batho
Goroga re sale re go letile
Dijo tsa motshegare re raya thopi
Motsawako wa mabele mabelega batho
Le mmamorankane, pina tsa bo rankane di ngunangunwe
E le fa basetsana ba tshola bana
Thotsana tshweu ngwana wa mosimane
Luso re raya legare
Bonnake borrampa tshetlha
Mpa di le dithamaga ke kgodu ya ntshe
Mpa di le bongapa ke kgodu ya legapu
Mmidi o ngaparele a tshwane molepero
Tshega di robega ke leswe legolo
Ke a leboga, thank you!
Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
10 February 2006
