Province
26 April 2006
The Premier of North West, Edna Molewa, has welcomed with open arms the
first Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministries Conference to
the province at Sun City last night.
"Choosing the platinum province for this conference the SADC Forum has made
the unequivocal statement that they share the province's hope and determination
that Africa's renewal and development is a matter best attended to by Africans
themselves, united in their efforts," she said.
Premier Molewa was addressing the gala dinner for the Conference of the
Forum of SADC Ministries of Public Works in Sun City last night.
Premier Molewa says "the shared growth and co-operation are the foundation
from which South Africa and the continent of Africa will prosper. That for us
is the contribution that South Africa will make to the rest of Africa and to
the world."
The Premier praised the Minister of Public Works Stella Sigcau for the
sterling work she has done for the country particularly her stewardship of the
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). She said in line with the notion of
shared growth, Department of Public Works in South Africa has taken off on the
massification of the EPWP to benefit the masses of our people as well as expand
our infrastructure.
"In our province the EPWP in the whole has managed to create 12 937 job
opportunities for our people with the social sector alone accounting for 4 024
while the infrastructural development sector created 8 202 job opportunities
and the environmental sector 711 jobs," she said.
Molewa utilised the opportunity to tell the delegates of the province's
tourism sector which as continued to draw incredible numbers of tourists to its
scenic beauty, the emerald vegetation, animal kingdom as well as the world
heritage sites.
Molewa said that 12 years into the country's democracy and freedom, the
economy is witnessing growth levels never before reached in the entire history
of the country. "We have thus made a firm commitment not only to reach growth
levels of six percent and more but also a firm determination that the buoyant
economy and the resulting growth must filter down so that our people share in
it," she continued.
She said all of government's work is geared towards realising shared growth,
thus halving unemployment and poverty by 2014.
The Premier wished the African delegates well in their discussions and said
that co-operation and sharing of best practices among African brothers and
sisters will mean that Africans will reach their common destiny sooner than
perhaps anticipated.
"I believe this conference of the forum of SADC Ministries of Public Works
has paved the way. All that remains is for us to pull together so that we make
the dream of an African century as propounded by NEPAD a reality.
"NEPAD enjoins all of us as African brothers and sisters to seek
collectively African solutions to African problems. Through NEPAD's broad
development initiative, we must together strive for Africa's renewal and
realise among others the objectives of democracy, good governance, co-operative
governance and shared growth and prosperity as cornerstones of the continent's
rejuvenation," said Molewa.
Contact:
Cornelius Monama
Provincial spokesperson
Tel: (018) 387 3456
Cell: 082 578 4063
Enquiries:
Russel Mamabolo
Tel: (018) 387 3103
Cell: 082 900 6610
Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
26 April 2006
