the Presidential Imbizo, Ladysmith
7 October 2007
A stable province
In 2004 we said the following through our theme. 'In the life of every
society there comes a time when the door opens and lets in the future.' That
moment has arrived in KwaZulu-Natal.
In 2005 our theme called for a 'Normalised Society and creating a winning
Province.' In 2006 we spoke of Social stability and economic growth.
This year our theme is 'Building the Economy through Partnership.' We
believe that economic growth requires a united and collective effort by all
role players and stakeholders in this province. Establishing a non-racial,
non-sexiest and democratic society you have to transform yourself first.
As a government we have set the following framework in place in order to
ensure that we are able to dispense with our responsibility.
* we have 14 provincial departments, seven of which are headed by
women
* we have generally stabilised local government
* a new legislative framework for a new traditional leadership structure is now
in place
* all eleven District Houses of Traditional Leaders have been inaugurated
* this year we have consolidated the legislative recognition of His Majesty the
King through the passing of the Royal Trust Bill
* the Premier's Co-ordinating Forum is in place
* KwaZulu-Natal Youth Commission has been established.
KwaZulu-Natal on the move
In 2005 our Tourism industry retained its number one status as South
Africa's leading domestic tourism destination, surpassing the Western Cape in
terms of overall foreign tourism arrivals. We have also raised new money
totalling more than R10 billion for investment in infrastructure:
* R2,2 billion will be spent in the construction of the new 2010 soccer
stadium
* some R6,8 billion will be spent on the construction of the new International
airport and the Dube Tradeport at La Mercy.
* R350 million for the P700 Corridor from Richards Bay to Ulundi
* R300 million on the P577 from Mtubatuba to Hlabisa and Nongoma
* eThekwini has spent R200 million and Transnet will spend close to R1 billion
over the next year in widening the harbour entrance.
The government will also embark on a formal and transparent process of
naming the stadium which will involve the consideration of all proposals that
are put forward.
Prosperity through economic empowerment
Defining what it means to be a developmental state as opposed to a welfare
state: redistribution and broadening participation in the economy, social
safety nets to the poor and vulnerable â but not trapped at that level, basic
services, clear social and economic goals to guide development.
Achievements
* Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ânow the second largest in the country after
Gauteng, and rose fivefold from 1,0% in 1999 to 5,3% in 2005
* our provincial government has managed to reduce the unemployment rate from
36,3% in 2003 to 29,9% in 2006
* according to Global Insight, the percentage of people in poverty in this
province (poverty rate) decreased from 54,0% in 2004 to 51,9% in 2005, and
spatial economic context: giving poverty a geographic address led to social
development and upliftment programmes in extremely poor localities such as
Nkandla and Msinga within the framework of Operation Mbo. This framework is
used to engage with municipalities across the province during Growth and
Development Summits.
Black Economic Empowerment (BEE): Meaningful participation of black people
means in the context of the developmental state, the empowerment of
particularly women, rural communities, youth, workers and the disabled. This
participation can range from the creation of economic opportunity to ownership
of businesses. generic BEE scorecard. These are ownership, control, skills
development, employment equity, preferential procurement, enterprise
development. The targets set to include:
* 40% to 50% black representation at board and management level
* 40% to 80% black representation in terms of employment equity
* 3% of annual payroll towards skill development
This province will be establishing a provincial BEE Advisory Council as an
objective mechanism to monitor progress in BEE in the province. Key criteria â
non-racial and non-sexist in the boardrooms.
Establishing a popular front against crime
People are now being killed for their credit and bank cards. South African
Police Service (SAPS) dealing decisively with organised and sophisticated
crime, for example, cash in transit and drug syndicates, but need action
against the malady of crime that pervades our society. It is our communities
that accept gifts from the 'boys'. African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)
indicates South Africa crime is violent and brutal.
Action against the malady of crime that pervades our society:
* provincial Integrated Justice Forum has been established
* new crime prevention programme â start with an initial 365 volunteers
* communities-in-dialogue programme
* crime prevention training with Amakhosi
* victim friendly facilities at the Umzimkulu Intsikeni, Gowan
Lea and Ibisi police stations use of innovative technologies so let us as
government, business, civil society and individuals all take responsibility for
making KwaZulu-Natal a crime- free society. It is do-able and achievable HIV an
d AIDS With a 16,5% prevalence of HIV and AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal, the province
still remains the highest in the country and therefore a top priority for this
government. The province has to date established 636 public health facilities
and 60 non-public health facilities for voluntary counselling and testing. The
Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission programme has now been expanded to
495 facilities.
Social forces for change
Education, Literacy and skills
Largest budget of any of the provinces and number of children who are getting
into school is increasing. Building schools at a rapid rate.
* improving access to schools
* as from 2007 increase to 53% the number of no-fee schools
Partnership examples: provision of bursaries for our children and boarding
schools concept.
Literacy: Masifundisane Campaign and in addition R100 million from the
Department of Labour to empower our community in a range of areas from literacy
to basic skills. We have also established Provincial Public Service Training
Academy Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges. Were accessed by 128 000
learners co-operatives have been trained in a variety of skills: garment
making, block making, welding, building construction, carpentry baking,
vegetable propagation, painting and general maintenance.
Co-operation agreements with Belgian institutions in the areas of
entrepreneurship support, tooling, welding and maritime initiatives.
Partnerships with further education and training (FET) colleges include the
United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), India, Europe and
Australia.
Agricultural development
The central programmes of the agrarian revolution are the 'Ploughing and
Planting,' Mushrooms and Dry land Rice, Nguni revitalisation and invasive alien
species eradication programmes.
All of these programmes have one common goal: Creating Food Security for the
vulnerable and creating an opportunity to move from unemployment to employment,
and ultimately to self-employment.
Provincial advances
Local Government:
* now 61 Municipalities as well as 10 District plus Metro that are in place
under a new local government leadership
* the Premier's Co-ordinating Forum is in place
* the House of Traditional Leaders established together with eleven local
houses
* focus on the five year strategic plan for local government
* achieve on the targets set for basic services and the advancement of
BEE
* by 2010 all households will have access to water within 200 metres and
sanitation, and access to electricity by 2012
* in KwaZulu-Natal backlogs of 26% of households without access to water, 44%
with respect to sanitation and 52% with respect to electricity
* International Conference on Global Perspective on Traditional / Indigenous
Leadership.
Works: The provincial asset register and reporting to the Legislature about
the assets of the province 2010 Soccer World Cup Political Oversight Committee
and other structures incorporating other local government structures are in
place to govern and guide the process of preparing and hosting the 2010 Soccer
Football World Cup. We are hosting the 2010 Fifa Football World Cup Preliminary
Draw on the 25th of November 2007.
International relations
We have established relations with France, Germany, Belgium, China and
India. We are currently engaging France, Germany and Le Reunion Island as part
of Strategic process leading us to 2010 and beyond. In the first quarter of
2007, we received the Governor of Maputo as a guest of the province. Our key
focus has been on international marketing of the province.
Social partnerships
During 2006 we:
* hosted Izimbizo at Ritvlei in Umzimkhulu, eMondlo in the Zululand District
Municipality and Mpukunyoni in the Mkhanyakude District Municipality. The
President also addressed an imbizo at Sisonke District Municipality.
* established the EzakwaZulu-Natal Magazine as a monthly publication
* follow up summit following 2006 African Renaissance conference
* KwaZulu-Natal In Dialogue Programme to bring back the culture of incisive
debate
* successfully launched the KwaZulu-Natal Alumni Programme
State of the village
South Africa is one of the most represented societies in the world with a
multiplicity of representation. We have members of Parliament, the National
Council of Parliaments (NCOP), Members of the Provincial Legislature, District
Representation, elected Mayors, Councillors and Traditional Leaders. Also have
members of civil society, public servants, religious organisations, youth and
other formations. Most of these are paid by the provincial fiscus.
How does this multiplicity of representation impact on the State of the
Village? This raises the question as to how developmental issues are being
tackled through these local structures. Until and unless the village takes off,
the province and the country cannot move forward.
Government can supply all the information. But from that information base,
it is the community, the village that needs to interrogate the capacity
required to make the village come alive. The Local Heritage Forums are already
giving meaning to the State of the Village.
We are going to be facilitating the State of the Village Dialogue. Let us
re-create that sense of awareness and togetherness at community level and I
dare say at the level of the family as a unit.
Issued by: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
7 October 2007
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za)
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