12 May 2006
Mafikeng â MEC for Agriculture, Conservation and Environment in the North
West province Mandlenkosi Mayisela, yesterday told members of the media that he
is convinced that the path his department is now taking in its endeavour to
improve the lives of the communities, is the right one. Mayisela said this
during a press conference held in Mmabatho Convention Centre after he presented
the department's budget speech before the North West Provincial
Legislature.
During the interview, Mayisela acknowledged that there has been some
constraints regarding the department's inability to spend the allocated budget
for certain agricultural projects, but said as he outlined in his budget speech
presentation, measures to overcome those challenges by restructuring the
affected units like Supply Chain Management, have been approved. He also made a
commitment to work closely with programme managers in curbing the
under-spending pattern that was experienced before.
Responding to a question on the level of confidence he has in the newly
appointed Head of the Department, Mr Paul Mogotlhe, given the number of
challenges that the department has been faced with, Mayisela said he is more
than confident that Mr Mogotlhe has all the qualities needed and is therefore
capable of steering the ship to the direction that the department needs to move
to. Mayisela said the appointment of Mogotlhe has thus far enabled the
department to, among others, take a decision to leave behind what happened in
the past and focus mainly on achieving the mandate given to the department.
"The department's current intention is to vigorously look into the
possibilities of funding viable and big agricultural projects that will be able
to improve and sustain the lives of the people. It will also be of great
interest to see those projects contributing in the growth of the province's
economy. With the involvement of our farmers unions in this process, we hope to
get better results," said MEC Mayisela
Mayisela concluded by saying he is optimistic that the negative media
coverage that his department has been experiencing, will be a thing of the
past.
Enquiries:
Ms Motlalepule Rosho
Head of Communication
Tel: (018) 389 5346
E-mail: mrosho@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, North
West Provincial Government
12 May 2006
Source: North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
(http://www.nwdace.gov.za)
