project
10 June 2006
North West MEC for Public Works, Honourable Howard Yawa, hosted Kgosi Jeff
Kgotleng Montshioa and the Traditional Council of the Barolong Boora Tshidi on
a project site visit of the R22 million Integrated Modimola Expanded Public
Works Project in Modimola Village, outside Mafikeng on Friday, 9 June 2006.
The objective of the project site visit was for the traditional council to
appraise itself of developments on the second phase of the project.
This phase included the implementation of the following projects by seventeen
learnership contractors:
* three route patrol contracts between Mafikeng and Taung
* six road maintenance projects between Mafikeng and Setlagole
* five road construction projects in Modimola Village
* bridge construction projects
* reservoir construction and farming infrastructure projects
Among some of the multi-projects visited by the council was the 900 metres
access road to Mococe High School, the bridge construction project in Modimola,
6,4 kilometres road construction project between Modimola and Gamoraka
Villages, the chicken layer unit and the farming Project.
After completing the farming course and the commission of the irrigation
scheme, thirty learner farmers have thus far planted the first 50 thousand
cabbage seedlings and 30 thousand spinach seedlings on the 15 hectare farming
site.
The chicken layer unit produces 28 000 eggs a month which are sorted,
packaged and sold to villagers in the impoverished rural village.
MEC Yawa congratulated the young learner farmers for completing the farming
course, which was facilitated by Taletso Further Education and Training
College.
"As youth you have demonstrated commitment to break out of the cycle of
poverty and unemployment by participating in the Expanded Public Works
Programme (EPWP) and acquiring skills. Your destiny is now in your own hands,"
MEC Yawa told the beneficiaries.
According to Kgosi Ronnie Saane-Tawana, the project has impacted positively
on the community in terms of poverty alleviation and injected hope and new life
in the poverty-stricken community. The project has thus far created 491 job and
training opportunities for villagers who previously had no skills and hope of
finding employment. Villagers who own trucks, tractors, trailers and donkey
carts also benefited as they transported water from the Molopo river and soil
from the borrow pit to road construction project sites.
As part of an exit strategy, youth previously engaged in the road
construction projects appealed to government to consider engaging them for
on-going road maintenance needed as they have acquired the skills needed to
keep the roads in good condition.
As some elements of the 96,3 million Modimong EPWP Project launched early
this year in Taung is replicated along the Modimola Integrated Project EPWP, a
delegation from the Greater Taung Local Municipality and the Baphuduhucwana
Traditional Council also formed part of the project site visit.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: (018) 387 2447
Cell: 083 629 1987
Issued by: Department of Public Works, North West Provincial
Government
10 June 2006
