S Moloto: Limpopo State of the Province Address

15 February 2007

Mr. Speaker and Deputy Speaker,
Executive Mayors and Mayors of local municipalities,
Honourable Members of the Executive Council,
Honourable members of the Provincial Legislature,
Honourable members of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces
(NCOP),
Speakers of Municipalities,
Leaders of Opposition Parties,
Chairperson and members of the House of Traditional Leaders,
Our esteemed Majesties and Your Royal Highnesses present,
Former MPs and Members of Provincial Legislatures (MPLs),
Leadership of ANC and other political organisations,
Stalwarts and veterans of our struggle,
Our Director-General and the senior management of our provincial
administration,
Leadership of Chapter nine and ten institutions,
Leadership of various religious denominations,
Youth, women, business, labour and community leaders present here,
Media representatives,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The people of Limpopo,

The amount of goodwill experienced over the last thirteen years confirms the
confidence many South Africans of all races have in the policies and the
leadership of the African National Congress (ANC). Perhaps, it was history
itself which ordained 95 years ago that it should be the ANC that must bear the
torch of liberating South Africans out of the morass of racial oppression and
exploitation. Having spent the past 13 years, engaged in the struggle for
bettering the lives of our people, we are never surprised by the level of trust
and loyalty many South Africans continue to have towards their ANC-led
government.

The gains we have attained in the little space of time since 1994 bear
testimony to what people can achieve if they are united and focused in pursuit
of determining their own destination. Nothing can best capture the depth and
extent of this goodwill than the results of the March 2006 local government
elections in which, the vast majority of the electorate voted for the ANC,
giving it an 84% majority support. What was striking in these elections is that
the victory of the ANC represented a 4% improvement compared to the support we
received in the previous 2000 local government elections.

Another remarkable milestone is that the province, contrary to national
trend, increased its voter turn-out by approximately 3% compared to the
previous 2000 local government elections. This massive support and trust on the
government and the leadership of the ANC was reinforced in an independent
survey by Afro-Barometer in June last year. In this survey, 72% of the
respondents interviewed agreed that our provincial government was indeed doing
a good job. The results of the same survey also showed a high job approval
rating of our municipalities at 62%. This was the highest rating for
municipalities in the country and signified increased public confidence in the
leadership qualities of our elected local government representatives.

Honourable Speaker,

We are not surprised by this public confidence in our policies and
leadership as Limpopo's Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS)
locates people at the centre of development. It is therefore important that our
people continue to take charge and responsibility for their own destiny. All
these developments vindicate what we said on the occasion of the adoption of
our growth and development strategy in 2004, relating to the life history of
Selina Maphorogo, a retired nursing assistant who worked for many years at Elim
Hospital in the northern part of our province. A detailed account of her life
history and experience on community work is explained in her book titled, "The
community is my university: A voice from the grass-roots on rural health and
development."

The book narrates her life story of rising from humble beginnings as a
domestic worker to an internationally-acclaimed community development worker.
Her moving narrative on the importance of each one of us contributing to
community development even prompted Dr Mamphela Ramphele, the former Managing
Director of the World Bank on Health, Education and Social Protection - to say:
"I am proud to have shared the Limpopo province of South Africa as a birth
place with Selina Maphorogo."

Mme Maphorogo joined the league of other luminaries in community development
from this province who include the likes of Bheka Ntsanwisi, Clara Masinga,
Fhatuwani Ramabulana, Ntswaki Qwabe, Lobisa Mamabolo, Elsie Motubatse, Noriah
Mabasa and Tendani Senoamadi to mention but a few. It is our firm belief that
all of us gathered here share the same sentiment and should consider ourselves
lucky to be calling this province our home.

Honourable Speaker,

The life story of Manana Selina Maphorogo demonstrates the importance of a
community as a university of life. As the leadership of the province we have
come to realise the importance of drawing lessons from community experiences
through izimbizos and various other community outreach programmes. For the past
years that we have had these interactions, we have learned from the people and
we continue to appreciate their concerns and aspirations. In this instance, we
have learned that people take a particular stance on issues not because they
choose to do so, but because of lack of adequate information and sometimes the
distortion of facts which are perpetuated by certain elements who are pursuing
particular sectarian agendas.

This is why we believe that it is important for the leadership to have a
dynamic contact with the people in order to clarify the position and strategic
direction government is taking at any given time. We can confidently say at
this juncture that, whilst there may be different and dissenting view points in
Moutse, those voices are definitely a tiny minority.

It is in this spirit that we welcome the people of Moutse who are now firmly
part of our province. As a sign of goodwill and commitment to nation-building,
we are today happy to have in the gallery some representatives of the Moutse
community who have come to grace and honour this auspicious occasion. We are
pleased that they are ready to join hands with millions of our countrymen and
women in making Moutse in particular and our province in general, an oasis of
growth and development.

Our knowledge of the area reveals that Moutse has for a long time been one
of the highly depressed and poverty stricken parts of the country. We are
determined to change this anomaly by working hand in hand with the people of
Moutse and we can confidently say that they too are equally proud to belong to
Limpopo as they demonstrated in our last imbizo held in their area. They know
as we all do that South Africa is one country with only administrative
boundaries. They now share the same understanding as the ANC-led government
that ours is not a federal state but a constitutional democracy which is united
in its opposition against hunger, poverty and underdevelopment.

Honourable Speaker,

Following the interactions we had with Moutse people, work is proceeding to
address some of the identified challenges. Key among them is the issue of
water, electricity and roads. We have drawn enormous lessons from the Moutse
experience and believe that it should be a source of hope and inspiration for
other parts of our country where boundary disputes may still be a challenge
such as in Khutsong in the North-West and Matatiele in the Eastern Cape.

Honourable Speaker,

We begin the year 2007 with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and commitment to
the goals we have set for ourselves in the Provincial Growth and Development
Strategy. Last year we announced that cluster managers would be appointed to
monitor and assist in the implementation of each cluster value chain on a
constant basis. We are now pleased to report that the PGDS Project Management
Unit has now been firmly put in place in line with this objective. There are
already certain quick wins which the unit has succeeded in unlocking giving us
confidence that the work of our cluster value chain would be enhanced.

There is every reason to be confident and positive, considering the fact
that the province's share in South Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is
growing rapidly, owing to a sustained economic growth rate over the last
decade. As some of you will know, between 1996 and 2005, Limpopo recorded an
average real annual economic growth rate of 4,0% which is above the country's
average rate during the period under review. The latest statistics indicate
that Limpopo is now the fifth largest contributor to South Africa's growth rate
at 6,7%, despite the fact that we are experiencing a decline in the
agricultural sector.

There are many hypotheses to the decline in the agricultural sector. The
common complaint is the complex issue of land claims which all of us
acknowledge is a challenge. Others will blame public sector investment which is
seen as insufficient largely because of the deterioration of extension services
which are not doing enough to support both subsistence and emerging farmers.
There is an argument to the effect that what is normally referred to as dead
assets i.e. large tracks of trust land and livestock, are not being utilised
optimally and efficiently for commercial purposes. The conversion of arable
agricultural land into private game farms is also blamed as another factor
which is diminishing the capacity of agriculture. A holistic solution must be
sought to confront the challenges in the sector otherwise we run the risk of
losing it as one of the key drivers of our economic growth.

Honourable Speaker,

Our province is regarded as one of the provinces which are doing well in
terms of race relations, more especially in the agricultural sector. The
recently realised report of the Human Sciences Research Council's South African
Social Attitudes Survey confirms what we already know. In this report, Limpopo
is considered third in line from a low base of the provinces which have managed
to improve their race relations trend. The work we have been doing with white
formations, particularly Afrikaner organisations including, Agri-Limpopo, the
Council of NG Kerk ministers, Afrikanerbond, Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU)
and Trade Union-Solidarity (TUS) is beginning to yield positive results.
Despite all these achievements, we know that there continues to be horrible
isolated incidences such as the one where a boy was shot by a farmer for being
allegedly mistaken for a rabid dog in Thabazimbi, and the one where a man was
shot after being allegedly mistaken for a baboon in Musina.

All of us have got a responsibility to condemn in the strongest terms this
type of criminality. To this effect, we would like to reiterate what we said
before that white communities must be the ones to make the loudest noise when
the victim is black, and accordingly black people should do the same when the
victim is white. This would obviously serve to discourage the racist
perpetrators who might be thinking that they are advancing a white cause by
killing black people, and the opposite will be true for black people.

Honourable Speaker,

The issue of land claims is still with us and the complexities of the issues
are hard to contemplate. Every party to the dispute would have to appreciate
these complexities. Last year in the State of the Province Address we raised a
concern about the pace of the restitution process in relation to these claims.
In response to this challenge, the National Land Summit was convened and very
important decisions were taken. Amongst these was the devolution of the powers
of the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs to the Regional Land Claims
Commissioners. Since this resolution was taken, we have seen the pace picking
up. The speedy resolution of Levubu and Makgobaskloof land claims can be partly
attributed to this intervention.

However, we have seen new challenges which have emerged following the
successful restitution of land. The general trend is that the productivity of
the restituted land goes down. We also note with concern the fact that vast
tracks of land are lying fallow because of infighting and petty squabbles
within the beneficiary communities. We must therefore caution that the whole
concept of land restitution will not yield desired outcomes if the
beneficiaries do not understand that they equally have a responsibility to
ensure that the productivity of these farms is maintained. The need to develop
a mechanism where, as this process unfolds, adequate skills are transferred to
beneficiary communities becomes imperative. In this regard, we welcome the
initiative which our Department of Agriculture is planning in partnership with
the Finnish government to ensure that the issue of skills transfer is attended
to through the introduction of an agribusiness academy at former agricultural
colleges of Tompi Seleka in Sekhukhune and Madzivhandila in Vhembe. The
envisaged academy will mentor and train subsistence and emerging farmers
including providing refresher courses for extension officers. The aim is to
ensure that we do more than just redistributing land to people who may not have
the necessary skills and passion for farming.

Honourable Speaker,

Last year in the State of the Province Address we talked about the need to
expand the labour absorption capacity and the contribution of the mining sector
into our economy. We are pleased to note that many of the operating mines in
the province have already started with their expansions programme. The majority
of the mines have made major capital investments which would lead to improved
economic growth and development of the province. These include Venetia Diamond
Mine in Musina, Potgietersrus Platinum Mine (PPL) in Mokopane, Forskor
Phosphate Mine in Phalaborwa and Grootgeluk Coal Mine in Lephalale. Venetia
Mine has already initiated plans to expand its operations to the value of
approximately R1 billion. On the other hand, Potgietersrus Platinum Mine (PPL)
is investing R4,2 billion towards its mining expansions while Forskor is
investing R600 million.

The much talked about Waterberg flagship project has now come to fruition.
Eskom is investing R26 billion for the construction of the world's biggest
dry-cooled Matimba power station at Lephalale. This power station will go a
long way in addressing the growing electricity needs of both the province and
the country. It is envisaged that approximately 9 000 jobs will be created
during the construction phase of this project. In addition, Exxaro Grootgeluk
Coal Mine has committed itself to expanding its production capacity to meet the
resource needs of Matimba 2. This will require an investment of over R7 billion
into the Lephalale plant. Sasol is also proceeding with its investigation of
the liquefication of these coal resources in the Lephalale area.

Honourable Speaker,

In our recent engagement with the mining groups a few weeks ago, we were all
convinced about the need to upgrade infrastructure and logistics in order to
accommodate these expansions. Both the mining sector and the provincial
government are agreed about the need to put up plants in Limpopo for the
purpose of warehousing of equipments and supplies which are needed for their
day to day activities. It is envisaged that even light engineering work and the
routine maintenance of machinery could be done in the province. Already there
are suppliers like JCB Engineering which are looking at the possibilities of
setting up a plant in Mokopane before the end of this year. We expect their
presence to boost our drive for skills development and transfer, particularly
for the benefit of young people who are the future of our country.

More and more mining houses operating in the province are already seeing the
need for co-operation and collaboration in order to maximise the possibilities
of cost reduction and development. Of course we have made the point to them
that, in their investment plans the focus should not only be in the local
market but should look at the markets beyond the province's borders
particularly in the neighbouring states. There are a lot of mineral deposits in
those countries. This co-operation would obviously involve joint operations on
smeltering and refining of their products within the province.

The provincial government is aware of common conflicts which always occur
between the mines and their surrounding communities. In the recent past we have
seen communities up in arms against some mining houses in Tubatse area and in
Mogalakwena. The concerns communities are raising range from lack of meaningful
partnerships, inadequate corporate social investment, insufficient compensation
over land and failure to engage local labour. We therefore implore on the
affected parties to resolve their conflicts amicably in order to build long
lasting relationships that are mutually beneficial to all parties.

Honourable Speaker,

Limpopo is fast becoming a place where you can revive your soul and rekindle
your energies. A stay in Limpopo is more than just accommodation; it is about
reviving the human spirit and asserting a sense of self being. Our province has
become a perfect place where one can relax in a tranquil setting while also
being able to interact with Mother Nature at her best.

Our capital Polokwane is not only attractive as an emerging hub for
conference and business tourism, but was recently voted by the internationally
renowned Men's Health magazine as the "Healthiest place to live in for males."
This is largely because of its natural surroundings which offer the
international traveller tranquillity and peace of mind. There are natural hot
springs around the province with several full health spas in abundance.
However, our tourism operators seem not to be tapping enough into this
potential, hence a need for the Limpopo Tourism and Parks Board to maximise the
development of emerging health tourism potential for the benefit of both the
domestic and the international markets.

Last year in the State of the Province Address we spoke at length about the
tourism potential of the province considering its natural scenic beauty and
heritage. There is a new concept in tourism called agri-tourism. The Western
Cape province has always been adequately exploiting its potential around
agri-tourism. Every one of us is familiar with the famous Western Cape wine and
garden routes.

Limpopo offers the same potential quality of agri-tourism products which can
be exploited for the benefit of the local tourism market. It is not enough that
while we are the largest producers of various crops in the agricultural market,
this capacity is not exploited as a resource for agri-tourism. Possibility for
such a potential is abound in the province, through the linking of various
agricultural products to tourism icons and hospitality industries within these
areas. For instance, the Modimolle grape festival or (Druiwefees) has been
celebrated over many years every January. In this festival, the majority of the
current and former residents of Modimolle gather to enjoy the table grapes
which are grown in the area. The reason for the celebration of this grape
festival in Modimolle is derived from the fact that their grapes are said to be
the first in the season in the whole country and more tasty than those grown
throughout the country. This is what makes them to be unique. Above all, they
are the first fresh grape export from South Africa to hit the international
market. If this tradition was to be linked to other important tourist icons in
the area such as Nylsvlei and Rust de Winter, to develop the route modelled on
the wine route in the Western Cape, it is for certain that tourism would be
boosted and the sector will become more productive than it is now. The other
festivals which can be exploited in the same way are the (Sonskynfees) or
sunshine festival in Bela-Bela and the spring and beer festivals in
Haenertsberg.

The province is known for being the biggest producer of other products such
as mango, marula, avocadoes and tomatoes in which the same principle can apply.
For instance, the large tracts of ZZ2 tomato grown farms in Mopani District
also offer a huge potential for agri-tourism development. The same can also be
said about avocadoes in Levubu. We therefore implore on the economic cluster to
take keen interest in this form of tourism and work out a comprehensive
strategy through which it can fully be exploited.

Honourable Speaker,

It is worth noting that Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) were the only
provinces in the country which received more visitors from foreign countries in
2005, with at least 1,3% added growth compared to other local destinations.
This has prompted the Limpopo Parks and Tourism Board to initiate the
translation of our niche brochures into Dutch, German, Mandarin and local
indigenous languages so as to attract a diverse range of visitors. We are also
pleased that during this financial year, our provincial tourism agency would be
expanding its tourism information offices to Gauteng and the Western Cape to
draw a bigger market share of domestic visitors and travellers.

The other development of note in sports tourism is the building of an 18
hole golf estate in the Waterberg region which will form part of Entabeni game
reserve. This development will also integrate the government owned Doorndraai
nature reserve in order to maximise its tourism potential. It is said that this
would be a golf course of its own kind in the whole world, and is envisaged to
be opened next year.

Honourable Speaker,

Two years back, we convened the sectoral summits whose resolutions guided us
in pursuing the economic growth and development of the province. Our mid-term
review has however noted the need for us to reconvene these sectoral summits
during the course of this year. This will provide us with yet another
opportunity and platform to evaluate and assess the progress we have made since
2004. Once more we call on all the stakeholders to join us in this evaluation
and assessment in order to attain the intended objectives.

Honourable Speaker,

The commercialisation of our state-owned game parks has been moving very
slowly. The slow pace is mainly attributed to unresolved land claims and the
need to get the necessary buy-in from surrounding communities. However, we
still maintain that this process proceeds because it is the only vehicle at our
disposal to ensure that the historically disadvantaged individuals are brought
into mainstream tourism as shareholders and owners. At this stage we believe we
have gone a long way in removing all the obstacles which are stifling the
process and we are confident that there will be a significant movement
forward.

Honourable Speaker,

During the state of the province address last year, we undertook to proceed
with the commercialisation of Great North Transport as envisaged. The
implementation process has proven to be difficult and complex than anticipated
because of the number of stakeholders we were required to deal with. As things
stand now, the consultation process and all other obstacles have been dealt
with and we are now in a position to complete this process before the end of
this year.

Honourable Speaker,

The 2010 count down has already begun for the staging of the world's most
prestigious and spectacular event in the game of football. We are happy that
both the City of Polokwane together with the Local Organising Committee (LOC),
have committed themselves to commence with construction work during this first
quarter of the season for the new 45 000 seater Peter Mokaba sports complex.
This facility would remain beneficial and an asset of the province even beyond
2010.

Like we said last year in the State of the Province Address, the need for
the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) cannot be
overemphasised if we are to remain competitive within the context of a skills
and knowledge based economy. As honourable members would know, the Mogalakwena
I-Community project has been identified as the province's ICT hub. The students
who have been trained in this centre are well equipped to develop new
Information Technology (IT) models and applications as well as programming and
even repairs of computers. Most of our government computers are now being
referred to this centre for repairs.

We have just finished the project plan for the roll out of the I-Community
project to other districts throughout the province. By the beginning of the
next financial year, we will start with the roll-out to Sekhukhune district and
the rest of other districts shall follow as and when we build more capacity.
With your indulgence, let us also hasten to mention that we have been sending
learners to India, Andra Pradesh province, to get international exposure for
the development of this hub. More importantly, we have entered into partnership
with the India based Satyam Computers in order to get our learners trained in
ICT. The process is underway to establish as many partnerships a possible in
order to ensure that the learners would have the opportunity to get as much
exposure as possible.

Honourable Speaker,

Last year in our State of the Province Address, we undertook to initiate the
process of redefining and refocusing parastatals to equal the task at hand.
Work has been done in this regard, and we are now at a point where a viable
option has been agreed upon and has to be implemented. This option entails the
amalgamation of Limdev, Trade and Investment Limpopo (TIL) and the Limpopo
Business Support Agency (LIBSA) in order to reinforce their productive capacity
and contribution to the provincial economic development.

As part of the restructuring process of our parastatals, government is also
going to be looking at the asset base of Limdev, for the purposes of unbundling
and bringing of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) companies on board. At the
moment, Limdev, owns shares in mining, in retail business and various other
properties which we believe is not a government competence to be involved in.
Limdev's role should in this regard be that of facilitating participation of
BEEs. So far progress has been made in the unbundling of ASA metals and 30%
shares in this Mine is now ready to be taken over by BEE companies. We are
looking forward to the process being completed by the end of this year.

The other area where studies are being made for the possibility of bringing
BEEs on board, is in relation to properties and shares of Limdev in Mokopane
mall, Thohoyandou, Giyani, Lulekani and Nkowankowa shopping complexes. We hope
and trust that this process will be speeded up in order to ensure that our
people can have a stake in this industry. All designated groups including
women, youth, and people with disabilities must be given priority.

Honourable Speaker,

Our medium term review identified weaknesses in planning and capacity to
spend. This has led to delays in the implementation of many important
infrastructural flagship projects identified in our PGDS. Amongst these
projects are the International Convention Centre (ICC), Peter Mokaba Sports
Complex, and the development of the airport. The Executive Council has since
made a decision that the Office of the Premier should henceforth take a lead in
the implementation of these projects if the contribution of our envisaged
logistic cluster is to be realised. Both the planning unit and the project
management unit in the Office of the Premier will be seized with the
responsibility of the realisation and the accelerated implementation of these
flagship projects.

Last year we spoke at length about the need for early detection of
weaknesses and risks in the public service. The measures we have put in place
have not yielded the desirable outcomes as the phenomenon of high staff
turnover and skills shortage is still with us. We believe that we should
explore, as an alternative, the possibility of co-sourcing the internal
auditing responsibilities. We are opting for this route because all of the
risks which this government is experiencing stem from the fact that we do not
have the capacity for early detection and therefore we will be proactive in
responding to these risks. If this unit is well capacitated, then the threat of
fraud, corruption and all forms of impropriety will all be dealt with promptly.
This measure would entail the private sector assisting government in the
management of risks and related weaknesses.

We believe this intervention will serve two purposes. Firstly, it will
contribute in the improvement of institutional effectiveness and efficiency;
and secondly it will help to impart skills and capacity to our internal audit
unit as the unit is largely staffed by those on internship and learnership
programmes. It is our belief that if these officers on internship and
learnerships are well capacitated, this capacity will spread across all
government departments and even our municipalities.

Despite these measures we are taking to improve our institutional capacity
and effectiveness, we still remain firm on our stance against fraud, corruption
or any form of impropriety. Appropriate internal measures are being pursued to
deal with issues relating to the International Transport Convention (ITC) and
Mapungubwe Arts festival. Any action which borders on criminality has been
referred to the relevant law enforcement agency for further investigation and
action.

Honourable Speaker,

Building on the initiative of Project Consolidate, twelve development
facilitators have been dispatched by the Department of Local Government and
Housing to municipalities to assist in the building of institutional capacity,
particularly in the area of engineering, finance and town planning. Since the
2006 March elections, there is also an ongoing training programme to equip both
municipal councillors and managers with the necessary skills that will enable
them to discharge their responsibilities. However, the skills which still
remain a challenge to attract in the province include technical, planning,
legal and financial management. There is a growing concern that both the
provincial government and our municipalities continue to opt for the
appointment of less qualified officers, even when people with appropriate
skills are available. In our view this is not only a curse to the overwhelming
mandate and confidence our people have placed on us, but an act of arrogance
which history will not spare any of us who is perpetuating this anomaly.

Honourable Speaker,

We have seen a significant increase in women representation at senior
management level in the public service. We moved from 32,2% in 2006 to 37% this
year, which is a marked increase of 5%. It is also worth noting that 50% of our
departments are led by women as Heads of Department (HoDs). This has made
Limpopo the province with the highest number of women senior managers in our
country's public service. The representation of people with disabilities at
senior management level has also improved and has now reached the required
target of 2%. It is our belief that the private sector will take its cue from
the achievement which the provincial government has made particularly in gender
representation.

In line with our commitment to build a compassionate government service to
the people of our province, we are happy to report that service delivery
improvement plans are being implemented in all departments. Some departments
have established centres of excellence and customer satisfaction surveys are
being conducted regularly to ensure that service delivery is geared towards
implementing the Batho Pele principles.

Honourable Speaker,

Over the years, in our Executive Council (EXCO) outreach programmes, there
has always been an outcry about the delays in the processing of applications
for social security grants. Our recent experience is that those complaints have
been dramatically reduced; and in fact one can consider those problems history.
What is remaining is the integration of all government social intervention
measures, like credible allocation of Reconstruction and Development Programme
(RDP) houses and indigent provision of basic services from municipalities such
as water, electricity and sanitation.

Honourable Speaker,

Last year we committed ourselves to the passing of both the Limpopo House of
Traditional Leaders Act and Limpopo Traditional Leadership and Institutions
Act. As part and parcel of the implementation of the Acts, both the Chairperson
and Deputy Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders have now become full
time office bearers in the Office of the Premier. The aim is to assist the
Office in the process of establishing the Local Houses of Traditional leaders
and Traditional Councils. Our target is to ensure that Local Houses should have
been established by the beginning of April this year. The other area of focus
which we have to complete during the next financial year is the establishment
of administrative systems and the building of capacity in all our Traditional
authority offices.

We have also noted that the Nhlapo Commission on Traditional Leadership
Disputes and Claims committed itself to report about the first phase of its
work before the end of the first quarter of 2007. This is the phase which will
determine the existence of any kingship and paramount-ship in the country. We
hope and trust that the second phase which looks at the claims and disputes
will be concluded as speedily as possible in order to bring finality and
stability in this matter.

Honourable Speaker,

Our "Arrive Alive" campaign has begun to make a dent in the challenges of
road safety, particularly during the festive season. We observed a significant
drop in fatalities over the last festive season despite an increase in the
number of cars and drivers on our roads. Statistics show that we experienced a
drop of 24% compared to the same period in 2005. Despite this drop in the
number of fatalities on our roads the numbers are still so high that there
cannot be any reason for celebration. We have learnt that most of these
accidents happen at night. This is the time when many illegal things including
unroadworthy vehicles, unlicensed drivers and overloading occurs. Many
motorists take advantage of the absence of traffic officers on the road during
this period because their work hasn't as yet been declared an essential
service. We therefore implore on the responsible bargaining chamber to consider
the possibility of declaring traffic management an essential service so that we
secure a 24 hour presence of traffic officers on all our public roads. The
Department of Roads and Transport should work on the improvement of testing and
licensing systems so as to ensure that all drivers are well trained and fit to
be on the road.

Honourable Speaker,

It has always been noted that the bulk of the accidents happen due to human
error. There is a need for a year round campaign which should involve all the
stakeholders. The Arrive Alive campaign should not be confined to the peak
periods of the festive season. Government should therefore lead a
multi-stakeholder campaign that runs throughout the year to educate both the
motorists and pedestrians about the importance of road safety. This campaign
should also be taken up in our schools where learners are taught road safety
issues as part of their life orientation programme.

Honourable Speaker,

We draw comfort and satisfaction from the peace and stability that has
prevailed over many years in our taxi industry. There has been no serious
violence and conflicts in the taxi industry in the past few years in our
province. This stability bodes well for the safety of commuters and the
industry as a whole. We are encouraged that the national taxi recapitalisation
programme is proceeding well in our province, largely due to the co-operation
we have with the industry. It is our wish to see this atmosphere of peace
prevailing in the interest of both commuters and other motorists.

Honourable Speaker,

We are pleased to note that our health system is doing well in many areas.
About 80% of our Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities are offering 24 hour
services. Last year we had twenty four (24) Emergency Medical Service (EMS)
stations and the number has since increased to 42. While we have improved the
response time from one hour to 47 minutes in rural areas, the challenge remains
the improvement of access roads which both the Department of Roads and
Transport and our municipalities must attend to, because these ambulances spend
most of their time in garages than providing services.

Honourable Speaker,

HIV and AIDS continue to be a great cause for concern to our government.
While our province has lower prevalence rates compared to the rest of the
country, we are however worried about the infection rate which is always on the
increase. This is obviously a worrying phenomenon given the level of awareness
which is out there in the community. Government has done all that is required
to be done in relation to the fight against HIV/AIDS. We have even increased
the treatment sites from 20 to 35 this year. We believe that government has
taken every step necessary in the fight against the disease, but ultimately the
responsibility rests with the individual to save his or her life. If our ABC
message of Abstinence, being faithful or condom usage, does not sink within the
national psyche of our people, government's efforts will definitely come to
naught.

Honourable Speaker,

The province is also doing its best to control the outbreak of malaria. In
the spirit of regional integration we have been in continued co-operation with
both governments of Mozambique and Zimbabwe to share strategies and resources
in the fight against this preventable disease. We have assisted Zimbabwe in
particular with Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT) pesticides to help
control the spread of malaria.

Honourable Speaker,

Last year in the State of the Province Address we committed ourselves to
absorb temporary educators into permanent positions. We are happy to report
that we have absorbed all 8 651 temporary educators into permanent posts. On
the other hand, a lot continues to be done in terms of classroom provisioning
in order to alleviate the challenge of pupils learning under trees. So far, 90%
of work has already been completed in the rebuilding of 237 dilapidated or
storm damaged schools.

However, we have noted that poor management and supervisory capacity
continue to be a challenge in the Department of Education, particularly at
district, circuit and school levels. The downward spiral in matric results over
the last two years can be attributed to these deficiencies. Last year we were
particularly hardest hit as we found ourselves at the bottom of the ladder with
only 55,7% pass rate. On the flip side of it, the province has performed well
in qualitative terms as we have got the highest number of matriculants who
wrote in higher grade. We have also produced the third highest number of
university endorsements in the country. This is in terms of both quality and
access to institutions of higher learning. This has happened as a result of our
deliberate policy of encouraging our learners to register in higher grade as
opposed to standard grade.

Honourable Speaker,

The setbacks we have suffered should serve as an indictment on the part of
all of us to start taking a keen interest in matters of education. In the
coming months, we will be convening district-wide forums to look deeper into
this challenge so that we do not leave it only to the Department of Education
and School Governing Bodies (SGBs). The department has also committed itself to
strengthening the supervisory and management capacity at all levels,
particularly at circuit offices and schools. By the end of March this year, we
would have appointed about 400 subject advisors who will be providing hands on
support to our educators.

Honourable Speaker,

In our round table engagement with the private sector representatives of
mining, tourism and agriculture, the issue of skills was rated as top priority
for the realisation of the PGDS objective. We were also informed about the
initiative by the mining industry to put up an underground mining academy in
Sekhukhune to deal with this challenge. Even our government has identified this
challenge as an impediment to our economic growth and development. The
Department of Labour has already committed R95 million for skills development.
We believe that this will reinforce some of the initiatives the private sector
has already commenced with like the partnership around the issue of the
agribusiness-academy with the Finnish government and the underground mining
academy. It is time that the notion of looking down upon Further Education and
Training (FET) colleges as a dumping ground for the less privileged or less
gifted; and looking at university education as the most prestigious training
for the few must come to an end. Given the growing global challenge of skills
and knowledge based economic development, the time has now come for the bulk of
our best brains to be channelled towards technical training. In one of our
interactions with the mining input suppliers, one of the participants intimated
that there is nothing in any university throughout the world called mining
compressor engineer. All of your compressor engineers are trained on the job
after they would have gone through basic technical training.

Honourable Speaker,

Our work of honouring all warrior kings who fell in the cause of the
struggle against colonial dispossession has been completed. We are pleased to
note that the National Heritage Resource Authority has finally approved the
declaration of four provincial heritage sites in terms of section 27 of the
National Heritage Resources Act. These sites will include Tjate in
Sekhukhune-land, Dzata in Vhembe, Soutini-Baleni in Mopani and Malebogo-Boer
war battlefields in Capricorn. The second chapter we are now opening is that of
erecting a Heroes Acre in memory and honour of those who fell in combat. We are
aware about the outcry in various communities, particularly by those people who
have lost their loved ones and their remains are lying in different parts of
the country and some even in the frontline states. These heroes and heroines of
our liberation struggle deserve a proper send-off and we therefore implore on
our Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the Freedom Park Trust and the post
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) unit to find ways of assisting the
families concerned. We however maintain that our liberation struggle was a
people's war against apartheid colonialism and no amount of compensation can
replace the lost lives. We in the ANC believe that the best form of
compensation is to ensure that the ideals they lived and died for are realised,
i.e. the acceleration of service delivery and achievement a better life for all
our people.

Honourable Speaker,

The history of this country will never be complete unless all the struggles
which have been waged across the country are documented. The bulk of this
history has not been documented and remains oral history. It is in this context
that in last year's State of the Province Address we entrusted the Department
of Sport, Arts and Culture to profile and document resistance struggles such as
Fetakgomo, Sebatakgomo including the ones waged by the people of
Matlala-a-Thaba or (Ma-congress) as they were popularly known. The unique
feature of the struggle of the people of Matlala-a-Thaba in particular is that
their resistance went beyond the banning of the liberation movements in 1960.
It was only crushed and defeated around 1980, 20 years after the banning of the
liberation movements. There are obviously similar rural struggles which are not
documented and spoken about, as if the rural people were spectators in the
fight against apartheid colonialism.

Honourable Speaker,

The Mapungubwe Arts Festival remains one of the exciting cultural events for
the province and the country. While the purpose and objectives of the festival
are still relevant and beneficial to the province, we must also accept that,
over the years the festival has been marred by poor planning and lack of
adequate private sector involvement. The Department of Sport Arts and Culture
has committed itself to correct all of the weaknesses identified in order to
ensure that this cultural event continues to achieve its intended
objectives.

Honourable Speaker,

Despite the persistent outcry about crime in the whole country and in our
province, the recent statistics of the independent survey conducted by the
South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) confirms Limpopo as the
safest province in South Africa. We have witnessed on many occasions swift
actions by our police rounding up criminals and effecting arrests, particularly
in high profile cases like cash-in-transit heists and murders. We are also
proud to say that even in cases where the actual crime has been committed
outside the province and the criminals involved choose to make our province a
hideout, they are always rounded up and arrested. In our view, this can only
mean that communities and the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the
province are doing a sterling job.

The only area of weakness we need an improvement on is in relation to
shortage of personnel and logistics. We hold a view that these issues need to
be given the special attention they deserve given the enormous security
challenges related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup which will be hosted by our
country. The one security area we are not succeeding in as a province to put
under control is that of alleged ritual killings and witchcraft. In the recent
past we have seen the escalation of these heinous acts to uncontrollable
proportions. The provincial government had to organise a multi-stakeholder
conference in order to co-ordinate our response to this challenge. The most
important resolutions from this conference include the need to establish a
police specialised investigating unit focusing on occult-related activities,
the review of legislation dealing with this matter and the scaling up of public
awareness programmes. We hope and trust that the implementation of the
conference resolutions will go a long way in curbing this scourge. We have
already discussed the matter of legislative amendment with the Minister of
Justice and she promised to deal with the matter.

Honourable Speaker,

We all know that at the heart of South Africa's economic and social problems
lies a deeper absence of moral values and acceptable norms. We see these in the
increased rate of teenage pregnancies in our schools, in the high rate of road
carnage caused largely by speed and alcohol consumption, in the increased
levels of family murders, domestic violence, abuse of women and children and
overall disregard of the rule of law. Quite often we continue to count deaths
which are not due to natural causes and this confirms that something is
terribly wrong with the moral fibre of our society. As a result of what we see
and hear everyday, we are beginning to doubt whether people still cherish the
noble values of respect, love, humility and human solidarity, which have always
defined our being as Africans.

Delivering the 4th annual Nelson Mandela lecture, President Thabo Mbeki
resents the culture of "personal pursuit of material gain, as the beginning and
an end of our life purpose." He further attributes "the corrosion of our social
and national cohesion" to this pattern of social behaviour. We cannot agree
more with the President in his assertions and in fact concur with him that
conspicuous consumption and the desire for material gains, account largely for
the moral decay we see in our society. We agree that every individual has got a
role to play in the restoration of community and family values in order to
achieve the quest of building a caring society and the spirit of human
solidarity.

Honourable Speaker,

Last year we witnessed the display of enormous courage and excellence on the
part of many great sons and daughters who owe their origin and allegiance to
this province. It is in this spirit that we wish to take this opportunity to
acknowledge and congratulate these formidable sons and daughters of our soil
who not only represent the best that our province can offer, but what our
country and the continent personify among nations of the world. These
include:

* Mbulaheni Mulaudzi who won Gold Medal in 800 metres in Athletic World
Championships making him the number one athlete in 800 metres on earth

* Mr Calvin Maphophe, the Managing Director of Mambedi Country lodge in
Vhembe district who won the National Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year (ETEYA)
award for the third time within the six years of the awards

* Our struggle veteran, comrade Bra Ike Maphoto, who became one of the 2006
recipients of one of our country's highest honours - the National Order of
Luthuli

* Ishmael Legodi who won a Silver Medal in the Intellectually Impaired
Athletics Championships held in the Netherlands

* Given Ratsuma who won a Bronze medal in the Intellectually Impaired
Athletics Championships held in the Netherlands

* Jannie van der Westhuysen, a former learner at Louis Trichardt Secondary
School who managed to scoop a total of six distinctions and came out as our top
2006 matriculant

* Livhuwani Martha Mulaudzi the 2006 Female Farmer of the Year, who made us
proud as the people of Limpopo by winning the first prizes both at a provincial
and national level as the top exporter of tomatoes to a number of markets in
the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region

* Ms Matshidiso Mashishi, who was honoured by the national Minister of
Education, Mme Naledi Pandor, for winning the National Teacher Award in the
category of lifetime achievement.

The luminaries we mention here today represent not only individual success
but a desire and determination on the part of our people to sustain the flames
of freedom we fought so hard to achieve.

Honourable Speaker,

The ANC will be holding its 52nd national conference in December in our
province. It must be borne in mind that while this will be an ANC event, it has
to a large extent already attracted the attention of the international media,
large contingent of the diplomatic corps and huge interest of business
community including political parties across the globe. We should therefore
bear in mind that all eyes will be on our province as we go about preparing for
this major occasion. In this regard, we all have an obligation to make this
conference a memorable one that must leave an indelible mark for the province
as we build up the momentum for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

As always, we are certain that the people of the province would be in their
dignified best, happy and ready to welcome every delegate, and every guest,
with open arms. This is a trait which has always made us who we are as the
people of Limpopo, and we must commit ourselves to remain true to this
tradition.

Honourable Speaker,

It is befitting to remind ourselves of the wise words of counsel which we
quoted in our first address in this august house from one of the legendary
philosophers of our time, born out of this soil, the late comrade Lawrence
Phokanoka when he said:

"We should not make a mistake of finding ourselves on the wrong side of
history and no earthly force can stop a determined nation to reach its own
chosen destiny."

The people of Limpopo are making history and no one can stop them.

Inkomu!

Issued by: Limpopo Provincial Government
15 February 2007