halving poverty and unemployment
14 November 2006
Gauteng Local Government MEC Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu has called on
municipalities in the province to contribute to the millennium goals of halving
poverty and unemployment by 2014.
Addressing the Sedibeng Growth and Development Summit in Walkerville in the
Vaal on Tuesday, Mahlangu said the summit should help the region in
contributing to the country's economic growth of 8% and reducing poverty and
unemployment.
"Today's roadmap should help the region get to where it wants to and also
contribute towards the country's economic growth of 8%," she told delegates
including mayors, municipal managers, leaders of business, non-governmental
organisations and organised labour.
She said it was important for municipalities to take into consideration a
number of strategies including the Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for
South Africa (AsgiSA) and the Gauteng Provincial Growth and Development
Strategy when dealing with issues of poverty and unemployment.
"Over the next ten years, we have committed ourselves to raise the level of
economic growth, reduce unemployment and poverty, and ensure universal access
to basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation.
"We have also committed ourselves to redistribute 30% of agricultural land
and to transform the legacy of apartheid spatial planning. The key question
that we have to ask ourselves gathered her today is: What is Sedibeng's
contribution towards achieving these goals?
"Sedibeng as a district has a high number of people who are indigent (this
is an indication that) unemployment is a societal problem and all of us should
contribute towards fighting it. These are some of the challenges facing
government. We also need to ensure the redistribution of land for economic
purposes," she said.
The MEC said it was important to mobilise communities to participate in the
national and provincial shared vision and objectives. She said ward committees
should play a critical role in ensuring that civil society participate in all
government programmes.
"All three spheres of government need to work together to achieve the
millennium goals including universal access to services. We cannot achieve this
unless we work together in partnerships.
"We need to look at how we can strike partnerships with national government
to ensure we have improved control over some of the sectors including the
manufacturing sector as it is one of the key economic drivers to ensure
beneficiation - as it is one of the key issues raised by the State President
during his Imbizo to this region," Mahlangu said.
The vision for Gauteng being a Global City Region (GCR) requires an
integrated and globally competitive province, where the economic activities of
all municipalities complement each other as opposed to competing against one
another.
"The GCR perspective emphasises the practical linkages and social and
economic relationships, the flows of goods, services and people between
different parts of the province as well as its neighbouring provinces and other
economic regions.
She urged government, business, labour, non-governmental organisations and
faith-based organisations to jointly develop concrete steps towards higher
economic growth.
"Each partner needs to identify the concrete things that they will do to
make local economic development a reality. Sedibeng District Municipality has
already done a lot of work to build this shared vision. And this work should
not end with today's summit. Building a shared vision, and acting in unity
requires on-going consultation and continuous engagement," she added.
Sedibeng District Executive Mayor Mlungisi Hlongwane urged all stakeholders
to work towards this shared vision.
"As stakeholders, we remain locked together in the future of this region.
Business needs growth and development for increased opportunity and sustainable
wealth creation. Labour cries out for growth and development, not of the
jobless kind, but of the kind that creates work opportunities and security for
families.
"Communities on the other hand, desire growth for the better quality of life
that each resident aspires to. We as government want growth and development for
that better life that we have pledged to our people," Hlongwane said.
Enquiries:
Themba Sepotokele
Tel: (011) 355 5111
Cell: 082 490 9869
Colin Mokoena
Tel: (016) 450-3015
Cell: 073 149 0272
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Gauteng Provincial
Government
14 November 2006
Source: SAPA
