The Free State Provincial Executive Council met on Wednesday, 1 April 2015 to discuss progress recorded in the implementation of the programme of action of government as per the Medium Term Strategic Framework for the period 2014 – 2019. The Executive Council appreciated that the key service delivery priorities as informed by the election manifesto of the ruling party must be the backdrop against any undertaking of service delivery programmes.
An analysis was made on the alignment of the Free State Provincial Government’s mandate as derived from the State of the Nation Address 2015 delivered by the President of the Republic, Mr JG Zuma and expressed in the State of the Province Address 2015 by Premier ES Magashule. The Executive Council also considered the alignment of the Provincial Budget Statement to the national key priorities which found expression in the Departmental Budget Vote Speeches which took place in the period of 19 March 2015 – 25 March 2015.
In its deliberations, the Executive Council appreciated the tight schedule of the business of the Free State Legislature which was heavily condensed in the beginning of March 2015 to accommodate the tabling of Annual Reports, the Strategic Plans of the departments and the Annual Performance Plans including the various debates that had to be undertaken before these critical governance instruments could be adopted.
Ahead of consideration of the programme of the day, the Executive Council paid tribute to the service of the late Minister of Public Service and Administration, Mr Ohm Collins Chabane who died on the 15 March 2015 in a tragic accident together with his two protectors Sergeant Lesiba Sekele and Sergeant Lawrence Lentsoane. Their service to building a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it was highly appreciated. The Executive Council also took a moment to acknowledge and appreciate that there are many other South Africans who pass on, whose names never get to be mentioned.
The meeting of the Executive Council appreciated that the month of April marks an important historical landmark in the life of South Africa’s freedom and democracy. That it was on 10 April 1993 that Chris Hani, a prominent freedom fighter in South Africa was killed. That it is a historical fact that the brutal death of Chris Hani propelled the pace that led to the first democratic elections on 27 April 1994. It was further noted that on 27 April 2015, South Africa’s Freedom and Democracy will be turning 21 years.
The Executive Council reaffirmed that the year 2015 is indeed the year in which the Freedom Charter celebrates 60 years of existence. This is the foundation of the world wide acknowledged democratic Constitution of the Republic of South Africa that was adopted in 1996. On this account, the Executive Council reaffirmed the hard work that must be undertaken to realise what is envisaged in this monumental document. Furthermore, that in order to achieve what is expressed in the Freedom Charter there will have to be hard work undertaken under the theme “Unity in Action to Advance Economic Freedom”.
The Executive Council further affirmed that:
- The Executive Council meeting deliberated over a draft Izimbizo Programme that was presented by the provincial government communication services. The Executive Council emphasised the importance of all levels of governance in the province to embrace, initiate and actively participate in the Izimbizo as the most effective element of unmediated communication between the government and the citizens.
- The Izimbizo programme will start in earnest on the 7 April 2015 to 12 April 2015. Thereafter the Free State Provincial Government will be hosting the inaugural events of the South Africa – China Week in the period of 12 – 15 April 2015 as a momentum building phase with the actual events taking place on 15 -20 April 2015.
- The Free State province is prioritising energy saving solutions and that the Executive Council will keep a careful eye in the implementation of the agreed integrated programmes that seek to save energy as well as provide alternative energy sources
- Priority attention will be given to the small towns in the Free State that have not received sufficient attention of the Executive Council as it has been implementing Operation Hlasela Outreach programmes since 2009
- The entire Xhariep District will receive greater attention of the Executive Council as part of the mechanisms to raise the developmental profile of this District
- Note is taken of the beneficial relationship between SETAs and the Free State Provincial Skills Development in dealing with Learnerships, Apprenticeships, Skills Programmes, Internships, Work Integrated Learning - WIL (work experiential learning) and Bursaries. The programmes undertaken by this partnership are ensuring that the province is able to meet its set goals of widening the skills profile of the province, especially in areas that are considered as scarce skills.
- Progress must be noted in the work that is being undertaken to build the capacity of small contractors whose work is benchmarked against the established contractors that are considered to be highly capacitated
- The Executive Council further noted that more work must be done in ensuring that the provincial government implements the economic development programmes that will result in the realisation of the ideal of producing Black Industrialists. Work that is already underway is in the areas of Textiles, Automobile and Agro-processing
- The Economic Cluster will lead the processes of implementing a Radical Economic Transformation Agenda in the form of a framework for economic transformation and mainstreaming of the developmental interventions that have been implemented over time and those that will be implemented yearly in the period leading to 2019 and contributing towards the NDP – Vision 2030.
- The integrated strategy of Township Revitalisation was acknowledged by the Executive Council as having contributed positively towards changing the developmental outlook of many Free State Townships and their contribution in skills development, employment of local artisans and fighting poverty
- The Executive Council further recommitted itself to fast-tracking the implementation of Regional Offices and service delivery sites. This programme will widen the scope of benefit for those lower level employees such as Cleaners, Security Officers and Clerical Staff that work in areas far away from their homes. It was noted that some of these officials spend most of their time on the road and the bulk of their salaries on food and transport. It was reconfirmed that the implementation of the Regional Offices will ease the burden on these officials.
- The Executive Council will pay attention to the authenticity of qualifications of the apparent professionals that are working for the provincial government. Municipalities in the Free State will also be encouraged to do so.
- Greater effort will be paid to ensure that public service efficiency is upscaled to ensure that the people of the province derive better service delivery outcomes from their government
- The Free State Training and Development Institute will embark on competency assessments of various levels of the public service to ensure that the right people are in the right areas of responsibility
- The Executive Council acknowledged that there is a lot that must be done to ensure that the fruits of Freedom and Democracy trickle down to everyone and that this can be achieved faster if the various levels of the public service are professionalised, made to be efficient and effective
- The Executive Council expressed its disappointment on the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy, more especially of school going children. It resolved that more social interventions must be upscaled to build socially cohesive communities that will provide protection for the most vulnerable members of society against social ills including gangsterism and drugs.
- The Executive Council appreciated the service that is rendered by men and women in various professions that continue to sacrifice their comfort zones to ensure that services reach all the people of the province
- The Executive Council also took time to appreciate the achievements of Free Staters in and out of the province and noted the good work that is done without seeking praise or reward by many other citizens who do not make the news headlines
- Mention was made of a few achievers such as Mr Tony Kgoroge – the new president of Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa and Motale Sebego who has recently been appointed as the Head of News at SABC in the Free State.
- The Executive Council appreciated the work of Whistleblowers and the swift action of the Police under the stewardship of MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Mr Butana Komphela and the Provincial Commissioner, General Mpembe that led to the Busting of sophisticated Crime Syndicates at the Ooseinde Industrial Area in Bloemfontein. These syndicates are reportedly responsible for the stealing valuable equipment is Hospitals and other public facilities.
- The Executive Council also applauded the unannounced raids that are conducted by the Police in various criminal hotspots which has led to the recovery of Cellphones, Laptops and many other electronic devices that are sold in the black market in some of the outlets around Bloemfontein and other small towns.
- The Executive Council adjourned its meeting by extending well wishes to all Free Staters during the on-coming Easter holidays. The Free Staters were urged to take the Arrive Alive messages very seriously and contribute voluntarily to curbing road fatalities.
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