Programme Director,
MEC’s present,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and gentlemen,
We wish to welcome you here today as our partners – partners in information sharing towards the empowerment of our people. We are here today to show the results of a government working together with its people for its people and the most efficient way to do so is through you – the media.
As the Economic Cluster, our efforts to speed up growth and transform the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods and to build economic and social infrastructure has yielded mammoth results. I will now present to you the progress attained in key Economic Cluster Programmes.
Roads and Transport
In our quest to provide improved public passenger transport services to our people, we have completed designs for strategic integrated public transport networks in the Sekhukhune district. Networks are built around the nine major service centres: Dennilton, Elandsdoring, Marble Hall, Groblersdal, Mogobe Ms Malaka, Jane Furse, Steelpoort, Burgersfort and Origstad. High level designs for the other four districts, an empowerment model and a fare policy were also completed. The current financial year will see the completion of an Integrated Transport Network implementation plan for the Tubatse area.
We will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Transnet Freight Rail on Thursday, 21 July 2011, and a service provider has been appointed to update the freight databank of the province as we move closer to ensuring that we have an integrated provincial freight transport implementation system. This year will also see the development of a provincial passenger rail plan.
The final Provincial Airlift Strategy and implementation plan has been completed. The strategy will ensure basic facilities are in place in Thohoyandou, Musina and Burgersfort for general aviation and will assist in the development of Hoedspruit, possibly as an international airport. The target for this year is the completion of a feasibility study for Lephalale airport. The feasibility study will include the extension of traffic services to disadvantaged rural areas.
The Rural Transport Strategy has been completed and projects recommended by the strategy include the upgrading of selected rural roads in all districts, the construction of a public transport facility in Waterberg and the provision of public transport services and infrastructure in Sekhukhune and Vhembe.
The Department has started with the construction of the Thohoyandou Intermodal Facility, a R317 m project which will be completed in 2013. It will provide user-friendly and accessible transport between buses, minibus-taxis and metered taxis within one location. This intermodal facility, which is the culmination of two years of research and planning, bears testimony to the ANC-led government’s on-going initiatives to transform the public transport system to enable all South Africans to enjoy greater access to economic and employment opportunities as well as social recreation.
66 community based projects were implemented, creating 19 307 job opportunities. A total of 1 428 804 employment days were created, with 8 109 youth (16-35) and 12 551 women employed. Thirty-five (35) preventative maintenance projects were executed with 166km rehabilitated and 894,682 m2 resealed.
Eighty-one (81) kilometers of gravel roads were upgraded and the following four bridge construction projects were successfully implemented and completed:
- Lutanandwa in Vhembe
- Seloane in Mopani
- Deerpark/Thapane Mopani
- Garapadi in Waterberg
The Department is currently constructing Mankele (45% complete), Maredi/Senyatho (35% complete) and Khalavha/Fondwe (40% complete) bridges.
We have outsourced the maintenance and repairs of state vehicles to small, medium and m icro enterprises (SMMEs) to empower them. No less than 3 193 SMMEs were contracted for this service at a total value of approximately R19 million.
Agriculture
We set ourselves a target to assist 21 land reform projects with irrigation infrastructure development and even though we faced barriers such as lack of electricity on site and delays due to inclement weather, we are proud to announce that three projects have been completed and 14 projects are at the final stages of completion whilst four are at an early stage of completion.
These projects, funded through the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), and implemented under the Revitalisation of Smallholder Irrigation Schemes (RESIS) are part of our programme to support land reform projects with sustainable water efficient irrigation infrastructure. We have also invested on intensive farm production infrastructure through the construction of two poultry houses, with the construction of two more poultry houses nearing completion. We will complete the upgrading of the Lebowakgomo Poultry Abattoir this year to ensure that market access by poultry producers is improved.
We are providing production infrastructure to agricultural micro enterprises in our on-going battle to eradicate hunger and poverty amongst the poor and vulnerable households in rural areas. Sixteen projects have been completed with 24 projects at various stages of completion. We plan to establish 30 such projects this year.
Fifty-eight farmers were assisted with subsidies to purchase tractors and related implements in our quest to broaden access to mechanised traction power to agricultural entrepreneurs. We also supported farmers with production input subsidies for 738 projects. We are aiming to provide 631 farmers with production input support this year.
In an effort to improve e-agriculture and to join the information society, 350 laptops have been procured for extension officers, with 77 extension officers being trained on basic computer skills. A further 133 extension officers received training on technical skills.
The appointment of labourers for the Makgoba Tea Estate revitalisation project has commenced. Through Labour Intensive Construction (LIC) methods of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), 5 863 jobs were created in agricultural projects and we are aiming to create 10 000 jobs through EPWP this year.
In order to restore degraded land to improve its ecological sustainability, 2 390 ha were cleared of alien invasive plants, 49 682.6 ha were improved with land conservation measures and 16 300 trees were planted.
Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
The province recorded an economic growth rate of -1.8% in 2009 from 2.5% in 2008. This is attributable to the 2008/09 economic down turn and resultant slowdown in the construction industry. The province is finalising the Industrial Development Master Plan, Limpopo Mineral and Mining Beneficiation Strategy and MUTASHI programmes to catalyse the economic growth in the medium term and implement all high catalytic projects in the long run.
We are proud to announce that funding has been made available by Xstrata for the construction of phase 1 of the Mining Input Supply Park in Steelpoort. We are also pleased to be moving swiftly towards the establishment of the Polokwane Fresh Produce Market with fresh produce farmers, wholesalers, market agents, property developers and potential operators all showing a very keen interest in the project.
We always aim to empower SMMEs and cooperatives to access markets and business linkages and to improve their competitiveness through financial and technological support and business training. To this end, we have supported 34 618 SMMEs and Cooperatives, both financially and non-financially. This year, we plan to facilitate six micro enterprises support groups.
In excess of R106 million was invested in tourism infrastructure upgrading and the establishment of tourism destinations. Fourteen tourism products as part of the Limpopo Wildlife Resorts portfolio were upgraded and an Integrated Management Plan for the Makapan Valley World Heritage Site was finalised to position this destination as an important tourism icon. A Memorandum of Understanding is in place with regard to the Zambezi-Limpopo destination with the aim to boost visitors to Limpopo and our neighbouring countries.
On the environmental front, 12 998 wildlife permits were issued. Our environmental law enforcement unit has worked tirelessly to finalise 79% complaints, conduct 83 roadblocks and undertook 135 anti-poaching patrols. Currently, the department is dealing with 332 environmental impact assessment applications that amount to an estimated value of R803 million investment.
To ensure that our environmental assets and natural resources are well protected and continually enhanced, we are finalising a Green Economy Strategy plan. Our environmental capacity building programmes have ensured that 25 municipalities have registered to participate in the annual Green Municipality Competition, 667 educators and community members were educated on the Limpopo Schools State of Environment Report Competition (LiSSoER) and 449 schools were registered for participating in the environment competitions planned for this financial year.
In conclusion, we have come a long way and have achieved a lot, but challenges still remain. Working together, we will achieve much more in building a prosperous society.
Thank you
