infrastructure planning
31 May 2007
The North West Provincial government is determined and committed to wipe out
the legacy of apartheid infrastructure planning by improving access to quality
public infrastructure, says outgoing Public Works MEC Howard Yawa.
Speaking during the handover and official opening of the R12,8 million
Community Health Centre in Boitekong outside Rustenburg on Thursday, MEC Yawa
said that the Department of Public Works has ensured that it accelerates the
delivery of its clinic building programme and the construction of health
facilities in order to improve access for people in formerly marginalised and
rural communities.
"For decades, successive apartheid and homeland governments denied the
people of Boitekong and surrounding areas including Sondela, Mereting,
Paardekraal and Freedompark access to services to improve the quality of their
lives. Today's function is a celebration of the triumph of our people against
deprivation, exclusion and marginalisation. It's a celebration of the
restoration of dignity to our people and a celebration of the people's contract
for a better life for all. It's a celebration of a partnership that recognises
that conflicts delay development in our communities," said MEC Yawa.
In appreciating co-operation and patience of the community, MEC Yawa said
"We salute the community of Boitekong for believing in us as government. We
salute you for recognising that yesterday was worse, today things are much
better but tomorrow things would be a lot better."
The facility is to bring relief to the local community and surrounding
areas, who had struggled with the availability of adequate health care services
as the local clinic could not meet all their needs.
The clinic is only open during weekdays from 07h00 to 16h00 in the
afternoon, meaning that residents who needed medical attention outside these
operating periods could not get help. The new health centre is set to bring
this to an end.
However the new centre is to bring this to an end because, unlike the
clinic, the facility will operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, with a
broad range of primary health care services including professional nursing,
midwifery and emergency medical care on offer.
Although the event marked the official opening of the centre, the facility
has been operating since the beginning of April and has already registered
major successes in improving the lives of locals. To date, about 4 800 patients
have received services at the centre and about 107 babies have been delivered
by the midwifery section.
Forty-five year-old Collina Nongauza of Boitekong, who has had her fair
share of struggles caused by the lack of adequate and convenient health care
services joined many other locals in welcoming the new centre.
"My daughter used to go for regular treatments after undergoing a serious
operation and it was hard for me to afford taxi fare to and from the nearest
clinic as I'm unemployed," said the mother of two.
"I'm now relieved that the new centre is always open and it is within my
locality, which means I can access health care services anytime and it won't
cost a cent."
The facility boasts a mental health unit, a dentistry unit, a maternal
health unit, ward facilities, out patient department, emergency facilities,
administration block and an access road.
The event marked MEC Yawa's last official duty in the Public Works portfolio
as he assumed office as the MEC for Developmental Local Government and Housing
as from Friday, 1 June 2007
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Head of MEC Support
Office of the MEC for Public Works
Tel: 018 387 2447
Fax: 018 387 2868
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Public Works, North West Provincial
Government
31 May 2007
