Honourable Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislature,
Honourable Premier, Mr Charley Cassel Mathale,
Colleagues in the Executive Council,
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Honourable members of the Parliament,
Executive Mayors and Mayors of the local municipalities
South African Local Government Association Limpopo,
Chairperson and Members of the House of Traditional Leaders,
Chairperson and Members of Contralesa,
Our esteemed Majesties and your Royal Highnesses present,
The Director-General of the National Department for Human Settlements
The HOD; Members of Senior Management and Staff
Leadership of Chapter Nine and Ten institutions,
Leadership of the ANC and other political organisations,
Stalwarts and veterans of our struggle,
Leadership of various religious denominations,
Women, Youth, Business, Labour and Community Leaders present here,
ESKOM, National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) and the SABC represented here by Mr Ravhuandzu
Distinguished guests, comrades, ladies and gentlemen,
Honourable Speaker,
We are presenting this programme in the history making epoch when the undisputed eminent revolutionary colossal with historical legitimacy to lead South Africa, the glorious people's movement, the African National Congress (ANC) confidently marches majestically, elegantly and charismatically to a 100 years of selfless struggle for unity, democracy, equality, freedom, peace and prosperity. It is indeed an honour and privilege to be part of this rare moment, and to be speaking on behalf of a department under the African National Congress-led government.
In 1978 Nelson Mandela was sixty years old. He was spending fifteen years in prison on Robben Island. Phineas Malinga wrote in that year that “…those who remembered Nelson Mandela worldwide on 18 July were not concerned merely with an individual. Through him, they were expressing their solidarity with all South Africa's political prisoners. On 18 July, Nelson Mandela shared his lot with Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg and Ahmed Kathrada – his co-defendants at the Rivonia trial, who have been in prison and almost for the same length of period.
On that same day, Solomon Mahlangu was in the death cell in Pretoria, awaiting the result of his application for leave to appeal against the sentence passed on him for the part which he played in the armed struggle in 1977. On that day, Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee had just completed the first month of 12 year and 8 year sentences passed on them for their activities in distributing ANC literature.”
In the week preceding the 2nd Consultative Conference of the ANC held on 16 June 1985 Pretoria's assassination squads invaded the Republic of Botswana and murdered South Africans, among them members of the ANC, as well as citizens of Botswana and foreign nationals – men, women and children. A month before the conference the very racists killed yet another comrade in Gaborone namely Vernon Nkadimeng, son of John Nkadimeng, the then General Secretary of the South African Congress of Trade Unions: nine other comrades in Angola and the ANC chief representative in Zimbabwe, Joe Gqabi, were also killed.
The bodies of two of four Port Elizabeth community leaders who went missing were found near the burnt-out shell of their car in July 1985. Just a month later in August 1985 Ms Victoria Mxenge was gunned down outside her home by police agents.
Comrade Sicelo Jama, a liberation movement activist who was on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela and other Rivonia prisoners wrote in the African Communist in 1988 that “…nearly 25 years since Rivonia and the general swoop of the sixties, the situation has not improved in favour of the fascist clique.
Contrary to their declared hope that the arrests and repression of the 60's marked the demise of the liberation struggle, the ANC has grown to be recognised worldwide as the sole alternative to the regime in Pretoria. Workers, students, the religious community, rural masses and the youth rally around the Freedom Charter and such outstanding personalities as Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Elias Motsoaledi, Andrew Mlangeni, Raymond Mhlaba and many other leaders who have been sent to Robben Island by the fascists. The vast masses of our people would not forget their leaders and neither would they forget the ANC!
With a leadership of such courage and clarity of mind – a leadership from whose every pore oozed hope of a bright future for our country and people – the general membership could not but be more dedicated and fired to fight on to the last breath even under the worst conditions.
It was a leadership which, because of its exemplary conduct and the grandeur of its vision, came to enjoy the respect not only of ANC members but also of the enemy and our detractors in prison”. The afore-going compendium of painful experiences in the life, blood and flesh of the ANC enhances us to understand why the ANC is still alive today and the kind of the organisation we serve. It helps us to understand the hope people have in the African National Congress. Most profoundly, as a tribute to the fallen heroes and heroines of the struggle, we must perpetuate this legacy of loyal service, unflappable commitment and untrammelled diligence in government. The hundred years of the ANC must see an efficient, accountable, responsive and faithful system of Local Government, accelerated completion of houses and a solid working relationship between government and Traditional Leaders. The MEC, the Mayors, every employee of the department or municipality and every Traditional Leader have this to understand – the provision of services cannot be postponed because many have died for these services to be provided by us.
Honourable Speaker,
1. Local Government
As Premier Cassel Mathale put it in his 2011 State of the Province Address: “There comes a time in our journey of life when we are called upon to actualise our conviction and willingness to deliver on the promise made and to meet the expectations of our people. We must use this momentum in our lifetime to make a meaningful and sustainable difference in the lives of the masses of our people. As we depart from this honourable house we will be forging ahead and determined more than ever before to achieve our mission of building a better life for all.”
The term of the current Municipal Councils ended on 1 March 2011. The 18 May has accordingly been proclaimed as the date for the 3rd Local Government elections in South Africa. Despite the increase from 513 wards to 543, local municipalities remain twenty five. The Independent Electoral Commission(IEC) must be commended for its readiness to run the elections. The Executive has committed itself to provide the necessary support to the IEC to run a smooth election process. In the same vein we pass a message of appreciation to the more than 100 000 new registered voters in the province. We encourage every registered voter to participate in this election in order to strengthen and promote maturity of our democracy. We wish the IEC and all eligible political parties a success. We call on each one of us to ensure that the elections are peaceful, free and fair.
Firstly, we request all political parties to send credible councillors to municipalities. Councillors like those expelled in Blouberg must never again be allowed to serve our people. Councillors who cannot resist temptation to interfere in the awarding of tenders and employment of officials must not be considered.
Councillors who refuse to report back to their communities or refuse to engage in meetings with stakeholders in their wards are disallowed consideration. Councillors who allow poor quality services in their wards must not be voted into office. We reject councillors who sell Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses or allocate them discriminately.
We need councillors who will respect and dignify our communities. We need men and women who are prepared to subordinate themselves to the service of the people and give un-negotiated compliance with legislation governing Local Government. As a way of paying homage to the fallen heroes and heroines (and also respecting their families), let us go and serve our people with diligence.
Local Government Turn-Around Strategy
Honourable Speaker, government has prioritised Local Government as everyone's business after we all came to agree that this sphere was in distress. We reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the Local Government Turn-around Strategy. The main areas of focus are the status on the provision of basic services such as Water, Sanitation and Electricity, Good Governance, Financial Management and implementation of Public Participation Programmes, including the functionality of the ward committees.
Within the framework of the outcomes-based approach; we have developed a National Implementation Plan and all Mayors have signed off the Delivery Agreements with the MEC. The Municipal Provincial Planning Forum is functional to ensure that the agreed deliverables are met. There is a significant improvement in terms of integrating Sector Priorities and Projects into the MunicipalIntegrated Development Planning(IDP's). Within the institutional arrangement of our municipalities there are 187 section 56 managers' posts. The vacancy rate is at (14%); females constitute (32%), which is 52 out of 160 total filled posts. We have 3 female municipal managers out of the 21 filled municipal manager's posts. We will stop at nothing to appoint women and people living with disabilities in the Senior Management posts.Overall; the IDPs of municipalities remain credible. Over 50% of municipal IDPs are highly rated. Thulamela, Elias Motsoaledi & Blouberg have received the lowest ratings and will continually receive support from the Office of the Premier (OTP) and the department of Local Government and Housing.
Operation Clean Audit's Provincial Action Plan is on course. The necessary structures are being established to support and capacitate municipalities on the implementation of this campaign in 2009/10 financial year we had 14 municipalities at disclaimer level.
In 2009/10 financial year the disclaimer level was reduced to nine. This has led to a net-improvement on the audit findings. 8 municipalities received unqualified reports and 10 were qualified. We take off our hat for Fetakgomo municipality for achieving the cleanest audit outcome in 2009/10 financial year.
We have vigorously launched a new way of doing things in assisting municipalities to manage their financial affairs. The Department of Local Government and Housing is collaborating with Provincial Treasury and Provincial Auditor General to complement one another to support municipalities in this regard. The main focus of the collaboration in improving audit outcomes is on:
- Financial management
- Performance management
- Governance
- Leadership
Both the political and administrative leadership of municipalities should takeresponsibility for all the good and bad things that happen in the running of municipalities. The Mayor and the Council will take individual and joint responsibility if they appoint Senior Managers without requisite capacity and skills. The municipal manager will also take individual responsibility if he/she appoints personnel without requisite capacity and skills.
The Community Development Workers (CDW) programme and Ward Committee forums should enhance public participation and solidify relations between government and the people. The ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has concluded a nation-wide research aimed at improving the functionality of Ward Committees. The findings hailed Blouberg Municipality for being the best in the country in terms of governance and administration of Ward Committees. CDWs must develop ward profiles and closely work with Ward Committees and councillors to make local government responsive to the needs of the communities. We will develop a Public Participation Framework and improve on our methods of training Ward Committees.
CDWs are not a political authority, but employees of government without decision making powers. They cannot decide who should get services and who should not. They compile information and submit it to relevant authorities for decision making. We are saddened by the arrest of a CDW in Tzaneen Municipality for allegedly inciting residents to attack one another on accusations of witchcraft. Woe betides CDWs who fuel tensions in our communities! Ge o le moretlwa ke le mmilo a re fulane, re anywedi ane bohlale.Aangeklam wees aangeskam is.
Honourable Speaker,
Provision of basic services, in an endeavour to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in providing basic services, the province is at 83.6% for water, 58.9% for sanitation and 81% for electricity. We congratulate the following District Municipalities for the following achievements in the provision of basic services: Waterberg for being the highest in the provision of water at 92.6%; Mopani for the provision of sanitation at 72% and Capricorn for the provision of electricity at 93.3%. The ANC led government has made an undertaking to ensure that all households are provided with basic services by 2014.
A total of 12 611 households is planned to be connected with electricity through ESKOM at a cost of R131.8 million for this financial year. The planned household connections per district are as follows: 1 716 in Capricorn, 3 257 in Sekhukhune, 3 369 in Mopani, 3 134 in Vhembe and 1 036 in Waterberg. Some of the areas to be electrified include the following:
- Hlalanikahle in Makhuduthamaga where 1 064 households will be connected,
- Makatjane and Sekgweng in Polokwane where 512 households will be connected,
- Dzwerani in Thulamela where 855 households will be connected
Bulk services"
The construction of raw water pipeline from Nandoni to Giyani is currently underway. The total project cost is R255 million and the available funding is R218 million after National Treasury has made an allocation of R37 and R17 million in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 financial years, respectively. There is a funding shortfall of R37 million to ensure that the project is completed.
Among all the districts, Sekhukhune is not doing well in the provision of water and sanitation. The current construction of De Hoop Dam is meant to be the answer to this challenge. Funding required for reticulation of water in and around Sekhukhune is R500 million.
Regional bulk infrastructure grant
An allocation of R315 million through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant for water projects has been made available in the 2011/2012 financial year to the province through the Department of Water Affairs for the following bulk projects:
Sekhukhune
Nebo bulk water supply R60 million
Moutse bulk water supply R9 million
Mooihoek /Tubatse bulk water supply R48 million
Mopani
Giyani bulk water supply drought relief R37 million
Mametja Sekororo R40 million
Vhembe
Sinthumule Kutama bulk water supply R42 million
Capricorn
Olifantspoort water treatment works R39 million
Waterberg
Mogalakwena bulk water supply R40 million
Waste water treatment works
The analysis for funding required for upgrading and refurbishment of waste water treatment works to meet the current needs for Limpopo indicates that an amount of about R1.057 billion is required. The Department of Local Government and Housing is currently engaging both the Water Service Authorities municipalities and Development Bank of Southern Africa to enter into a mandate agreement for assistance with the upgrading and refurbishment of waste water treatment works.
The provincial government will be undertaking a detailed assessment of the province's waste water treatment works to establish both the future needs and costing required to meet both operational and maintenance obligations in the 2011/12 financial year. The Department of Local Government and Housing, with the assistance of Water Affairs will be leading this process.
Honourable Speaker, the tenth anniversary celebrations of local government are incomplete without a chapter that includes the following luminaries whom we salute for gallantly leading our municipalities with distinction and aplomb. Comrade Namane Dickson Masemola for leading Sekhukhune District, Comrade Matome Humphrey Mokgobi, for leading Mopani District; Comrade Motalane Monakedi for leading Capricorn District, Comrade OJ Mushuana for leading Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Thabo Makunyane for leading Polokwane Municipality, Comrade Bob Mmola the Mayor of Mogalakwena Local Municipality, Comrade Lucas Manyuha the Mayor of Mutale Municipality as well as, vhoKhosi Thivulawi Makumbani for leading Thulamela Local Municipality. May this august house be informed that in the past financial year the Greater Tzaneen Municipality received an award for the Greenest Municipality in South Africa! Our heartfelt congratulations go out to this municipality. You have really made us proud. The fact that we are the only province in the Republic that has never invoked Section 139 of the constitution of the Republic attests to the solid foundation laid by these icons.
Human settlements housing delivery
Honourable speaker, We have completed 33 200 houses in the last two years. Included in this figure is 9 000 out of 11 000 identified units which were left incomplete in the past. The remaining two thousand will be completed in collaboration with the ministry of Human Settlements. Once again we profusely apologise to those families that have waited for their houses to be completed. “Re le kgoro re re seatla godimo ga se sengwe gobane le ile la beya mokganya phatleng nako e telele. Re thabela fela gore mafelelong sethokgwa se ile sa nt ha phuti”.
In the 2010/11 financial year, we promised the people of Limpopo that we will build 15 489 housing units. That was our target, we are delighted today to report in this august house and to the people of Limpopo that we have delivered 15 514 housing unit as at 30 March 2011. We will build 13 410 housing units in the new financial year. We have adopted a no-nonsense attitude to contractors who do not complete houses. Of the 42 contractors terminated in the 2009/10 financial year we have successfully blacklisted 24, being the first housing department in the country to blacklist dishonest contractors. The National Treasury has sent us a confirmation that these companies or individual members will be restricted from doing business with government in the next ten years. No less than five companies were terminated for poor performance in the last financial year and they are listed in the table hereunder:
| Name of company | number of units | site name |
| Outcome Property Investments 34 cc | 100 Units | Makhado |
| Beavens Delivery Services | 100 Units | Makhado |
| Limpopo Supplement Traders | 100 Units | Makhado |
| Segabokeng Building Construction | 200 Units | Polokwane |
| Mosama Building & Civils Enterprise | 200 Units | Blouberg |
Honourable Speaker, we will continue to terminate unscrupulous service providers irrespective of who they are and their bragging rights. The poor do not have the bragging rights but the power to install a government that must dignify them with services. In an attempt to enhance the quality product within the Housing Value Chain, the National Home Builders' Regulation (NHBRC) mandate has been extended to Rural Housing Programme. As part of effective project management and watertight contracts, the department introduced financial performance guarantees to all bidding contractors. For optimisation of performance a combination of high capacity and emerging contractors has been preferred. Our system of beneficiary registration is improving with every negative experience. We have announced that all housing beneficiaries must be registered from the oldest person in society to the youngest. The only two compelling reasons why a young person gets an RDP house are either by disability or being orphaned. The in situ construction has also assisted us to avoid building houses for people who are not ready to start families.
We take this opportunity to thank Mr Freddy Maleka, a community leader from gaMakata under Kgoši Molepo (Maisha III) (ward 03 of Polokwane Municipality) who registered all housing beneficiaries in community meetings, where every name was confirmed by community members. Secondly, it eliminates the potential for illegal occupation of houses as we build in the sites where beneficiaries live. A councilor has been arrested in Lepelle Nkumpi for allegedly selling RDP houses. A resident in Modimolle sent a text message saying “I have been following an article concerning the sale of RDP houses in Lebowakgomo. We in Modimolle are experiencing the same issue with our councillor.” We want you to know that your neighbours know that you sell houses. We issue a stern warning to all who do this “gore let at i la madi gale hwibile”. We have launched normalisation processes in Northam, Radium, Thabo Mbeki and Pienaarsrivier. People who are illegally occupying these houses tell us how they got them.
There are employees of the South African Police Service, Department of Health and Education living in RDP houses at Thabo Mbeki in Lephalale and Ext 10 in Modimolle. We will provide HODs of their departments with their names to advise them to vacate the houses before we apply unkind measures.
Municipalities are consulted in determining development areas for housing. The allocation of RDP houses to municipalities is informed by the “geography of poverty index.” Following this logic Tubatse, Thulamela, Makhado, Giyani, Letaba and Elias Motsoaledi will get higher allocations in the financial year 2011/12.
Upgrading of well located informal settlements
The department has developed the Informal Settlement Upgrading Plan that has been work-shopped with all municipal Town Planners and Heads of Housing. The department has prioritised 19 informal settlements for detailed planning. The planning for Mohlakaneng in Polokwane is advanced whereas the feasibility study for Maribe Thema in Tzaneen, Smasherblock in Thabazimbi and Ext 10 in Tubatse will be done in the new financial year. Stronger partnerships will be established with the private sector to mitigate funding shortfalls.
The Limpopo Informal Settlement Bill has been submitted together with public comments to the Legislature for further processing.
Accreditation of one Local Municipality
The department is on course to accredit Polokwane Municipality by the end of 2013. This will increase the capacity of the municipality to perform human settlement development functions and responsibilities. Mopani District has identified the village of Botshabelo in Maruleng as their next site for rural development. Inspired by the achievements of Muyexe and gaKgatla we have allocated hundred houses for Botshabelo in the new financial year.
Muyexe project has been completed and handed over to the municipality. The quality assurance work done by Project Management Units has earned us the respect of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) when its delegation had visited the construction site of Lerupurupung in Lephalale local municipality. The four contractors terminated during 2010/11 were due to inability to stick to the delivery program and not workmanship. This undoubtedly demonstrates effective program management that government needs to realise service delivery objectives. The department has also presented to MINMEC meeting and shared ideas with other provinces in effective management of housing delivery programs. We introduced the campaign “My RDP, My Pride” to encourage people to look after houses given freely by government. This campaign motivates beneficiaries to maintain the quality of their houses and beautify their yards.
The campaign has been a hit and received many entries across the length and breadth of the province. The National Ministry of Human Settlements, led by Mr Tokyo Sexwale befittingly topped our 2010/11 housing budget with an extra R131 million to help in changing the lives of our masses out there, for the better. This is a vote of confidence in the ability of the department to provide better and quicker services to the people of the province. This is historic in the province for the department to receive extra funding from the National ministry because of good performance.
We have provided houses to 96 families who were in distress through our Emergency Housing Programme.
Honourable Speaker, We have installed underground services in the Bendor Ext 100 Breaking New Ground Project. The designs for the topographical structures will be completed by the end of April 2011. The much awaited completion of this project will provide a direct anti-thesis to the apartheid spatial planning which balkanised Africans in the periphery whist cities remained ghostly white enclaves. The poor will for the first time own houses in town, stay closer to their workplaces and share amenities with their class antipodes.
The Polokwane Ext 86 and 104 will aggressively address social cohesion and affordability. We have appointed a service provider and the sites have been handed over for implementation. This project caters for the stratum that earns “too much to qualify for RDP houses yet too little to access bank loans.” The project also is on phase one and phase two which will be completed before the end of financial year.
The development of affordably priced rental accommodation
Government continues to explore varied tenure options and the rental program can cater for people from affordable rental of R1 500 to R3 500 to social housing of R3 500 to R7 000. Limpopo has successfully pioneered the affordable rental programs through the Community Residential Unit (CRU) redevelopment in Seshego. The first phase high rise buildings of seventy two units have been completed, together with the four free standing units which are earmarked for people living with disabilities. The outstanding 117 is under construction and will be completed during the 1st quarter of 2011/12. The settlement will also have a Recreational Centre and Retail space. The 86 people who will not qualify to benefit from this Community Residential Unit (CRU) will be relocated to Seshego Hospital view. Their houses will be completed before the end for June 2011.
Polokwane Housing Association is responsible for managing the Social Housing Rental Program. The controversial manner in which the program was managed led to the dissolution of the Board. The department is working very closely with the Municipality and the residents in the realisation of the Turn around strategy for effective management and improvement of the social conditions of residents. Most of the issues such as maintenance, arbitrary rental increase and eviction have been resolved. The process of establishing a new Board is well under way (short-listing has been done and interviews will follow soon).
Provincial growth points
Honourable Speaker, The ancient cities were dull and uninviting structures built of stone walls but today they are the most exciting because those who built them had everlasting vision. If we all agree that the mind does not only think, but sees beyond the limitations of the eye, we then agree that a potential exists to build new cities in Lephalale, Burgesfort, Makhado and Musina. It is incontrovertible that we have proven our prowess in housing completion. This ability should therefore be tested against building cities.
The creation of a new city has started with the completion of Lephalale Infrastructure Scoping Report for integrated sustainable human settlement.The report has been accepted by the municipality and key stakeholders. The Treasury has through the National Department of Human Settlements, allocated the department R318 million to install bulk infrastructure. Key projects for the provision of necessary services have been identified and the respective departments and stakeholders have been brought on board. The bulk infrastructure projects will be implemented during this 2011/12 financial year.
Tubatse, Makhado and Musina will enjoy the benefits of the Lephalale experience curve. We will also compile Scoping Reports for all the priority growth areas identified. The success of these initiatives will not only maximise job creation opportunities but will make immense contribution towards regional economic integration. It will also lead to a practical implementation of the concept of Limpopo being the gateway to Africa.
We said we will embark on a Provincial Land Audit to guide strategic utilisation of land in the Province. The Housing Development Agency has been engaged to assist the province with the land audit. We have acquired 72 hectors of land for the creation of Integrated Sustainable Human Settlements in Bela – Bela Municipality (Doornkraal) through Housing Development Agency. We said we would service 3 000 sites in the last financial year. To date 2 334 sites have been serviced on well-located land. The delay has been largely due to inadequate aging bulk infrastructure in areas where land was available for services. Municipalities have been asked to align their MIG business plans with prioritised housing development as reflected in their IDPs.
Transfer of title deeds
During 2010/11 financial year, 3 696 properties were transferred to beneficiaries through two housing programmes and they are the Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme and Registration and Endorsement respectively. This, Honourable Speaker, affirms the pre-emptive clause that says no RDP house will be sold within the first eight years. In the 2011/12 financial year we will transfer, through the Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme eight hundred (800) and one thousand and two hundred (1 200) through the Registration & Endorsement units to beneficiaries. This is again our commitment to restore the dignity of many of our people who for many years have struggled for access to property ownership.
Honourable Speaker, in this past financial year the Petitions Committee of the Legislature summoned the MEC and HOD to come and explain why for the past ten years the house at Unit C in Mankweng was left incomplete. The MEC did not have to explain, but simply made a commitment that the house would be completed; as we speak the family of Ms. Paulina Chauke currently has a roof above their heads – the house is complete! As we improve the quality of life for all, we also make sure that our people have services in the homes that we provide.
The platform created through “EXCO meets the people” and Public Participation and other outreach programs led by Premier Cassel Mathale are improving the lives of our people in a phenomenal way. In the financial year that has just passed, we managed to score some achievements in the following families: at Ga-Mulima in Vhembe District, Ms Rama's house collapsed during the 2 000 floods. We are happy to announce that a decent house has been built for them. In Sekhukhune District at Mmotwaneng, Ms Msiza used to stay in a one roomed shack which got flooded during rainy seasons and became extremely cold in winter. As we speak, she is the proud owner of a quality house. At Vlakfontein in the same district of Sekhukhune, Mr Masango, an old man living with disabilities stayed with his wife and four kids in a one-roomed house, which was divided into two by a curtain. Through the departmental intervention he is currently a proud owner of a new house.
In the Capricorn District at Motantanyane we have completed a house for Mr Lesibane Michael Masopoga who complained that the ward councilor told him he would never get a house because he talked too much. His family the wife, five children and himself have been staying in a two roomed shack since 1994. In Mopani District at Ga-Ntata village, we have completed seven new houses. The previous houses that belonged to the seven families above had been destroyed by a storm. The office of the Chief Whip in the Provincial Legislature provided a list of families in Bismarck in Maruleng who were living in collapsing mud houses. Five families in the list had their houses completed last year through extra ordinary programs we have. The rest will be completed in the New Financial Year. These houses were donated by some of our contractors. Without mentioning names, we want to thank all service providers who generously contributed to settle these families.
Honourable Speaker, i this financial year we will create 4 140 and 32 000 job opportunities through housing development and Municipal Infrastructure Grant programmes for our people, respectively. This is in line with the central message of the President's State of the Nation Address when he said, “...we are concerned that unemployment and poverty persist despite the economic growth experienced in the past ten years. To address these concerns, we have declared 2011 a year of job creation through meaningful economic transformation and inclusive growth.” They say if you are a pioneer you should be prepared to walk a lonely road.
We, however, believe that the innovative pioneering projects and programmes we introduce will only succeed if our people are brought on board. We are all in these together with our people for development is about people. Our dynamic partnership with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) led by the Regional Manager Mr Victor Ravhuandzo, has enabled us to provide over twenty five (25) decent and quality houses to destitute and child-headed families, through the Celebrity Build A House Program. Through this program we deliver fully furnished and electrified homes. The Mogero family which is situated at Luckau Village, under the Elias Motsoaledi Municipality is a beneficiary of this program. Besides providing the house for this particular family, the department also ensured that Kholofelo, the eldest child, got employment at a local Spar Supermarket. Honourable Speaker, as we speak, the family is here with us in this august house.
Ge nkhe apa ka mokhwa wa noo, lapa la mme Mminara Lucy Maake le thakhatle ka maatla ka gore ga na ntono le tia go tlefa. Lapa le le kua Tlhabine ga Mogoboya. Ke khale ka maatla lapa le le se na legae, le se na ntlo. Ka tšatšikgwedi ya lesome (10) Hlakola ngwageng wa go feta wa ditšhelete (10 March 2011), khoro yaa geso e ba file dinotlelo tša go tsena ka gare ga ntlo a mabaibai, ntlo ya ntlebetlebe yeo e tlabaketšwego ka diphahlo.
Ge nkheapa ka mokhwa wa noo, Mme Mminara le baana ba bona ba gona gana ka mo.
We have set for ourselves an ambitious target to build twelve houses this year through this programme. We invite communities and individual members to participate in the beneficiary identification process and send their suggestions to the department or the SABC. A re ikageng maAfrika.
Traditional Affairs
Honourable Speaker, We welcome the reintegration of the component of Traditional Affairs in the department. It is our firm belief that legislation and policies passed to recognise the institution of Traditional Leadership will cement the nascent relations between Traditional Leaders and Municipalities. We will provide targeted administrative support in terms of ensuring that the ordination processes are properly done. Our priority project is to ensure that we develop a strategic framework on allocation of communal land. This will go a long way in ensuring integrated development in our municipalities. We will embark on a capacity building intervention for Traditional Leaders on leadership training programmes. This will be incorporated into the Councilor's Induction Program, soon after the elections.
We have close to 400 unresolved disputes on traditional leadership. We will put up a process to finalise these disputes. We encourage traditional authorities to be helpful in the dispute resolution process. Bogoši ke lefofa la khubela bo a tswalelwa. Bana ba Kgoši ba latelana go ya ka kgati. Kgoši le ge e ka ba yo mosehlalana o swanetše a fiwe bogoši bja gagwe ka ge bo mo lebane, a apešwe thamaga, bo-ga-bo-nthone le bomaila- khutšo re oma ka letlalo la tšipa.
Honourable Speaker, we congratulate Kgošigadi Mothapo of the Bakgaga baMothapo in her election to the position of the Deputy Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL).
We salute Khosi Fhumulani Kutama for diligently serving as the as chair of the House of Traditional Leaders for over three terms.
Administration
Honourable speaker, the emancipation of women is not an act of charity, but a guarantee of the success of the revolution. The success of the revolution is measured by the extent to which women are free.
The South African revolution has identified women, working class women in particular, as a microcosm that is worst oppressed in society. Women have been oppressed in class, race and gender forms. Comrade Baleka Kgositsile argued twenty one years ago that “…the onus is on us to make liberation truly national by making sure that we have not just transferred power from the de Klerks to the people, but that we have taken steps to ensure that the more than 50% of the population are meaningfully participating in all spheres of the process of social transformation. We must consciously create mechanisms to ensure women's emancipation.”
To advance the emancipation of women the department has leaped from 34% representation of women in Senior Management Service to 43% in the last two years. In our quest to realise this objective we will always keep at the back of our minds the observation of the Bolshevik revolutionary who remarked that “It is a clear and indisputable fact, without the participation of women, the October Revolution could not have brought the Red Flag to victory.
Glory to the working women who marched under that Red Banner during the October Revolution! Glory to the October Revolution that liberated women!” In the not so distant future we will stand here and say glory to the ANC-led government that achieved 50% empowerment of women. In the financial year 2009/10 during the Premier's Service Excellence Awards, the Department of Local Government and Housing was declared the best department in the province. History has a tendency of repeating itself. This financial year 2010/11 on the night of the 22 March 2011, this very department was again declared the best department in the province during the Premier's Service Excellence Awards. With unequalled humility, we are also glad to remind you that, nationally we are still the title holder of the Govan Mbeki Housing Awards.
We have not forgotten the pain the ANC endured in its life, the brutality of the fascist apartheid regime, the detentions, state terrorism and cold blooded murders. We do it for our forbears.
I now present to this house the Department's budget for the financial year 2011/12.
| Per Economic classification: Local Government & Housing 1 | |
| Programme 1: Administration | 257 555 |
| Programme 2: Housing | 1 483 834 |
| Programme 3: Local Government | 467 704 |
| Programme 4: Development & Planning | - |
| Programme 5: Traditional Affairs | - |
| Total Budget Estimates | 2 209093 |
| Per Programme: Local Government & Housing | |
| Current Payments | 781 607 |
| Compensation of Employees | 571 070 |
| Goods and Services | 210 537 |
| Transfers and Subsidies | 1419 463 |
| Households | 1 402 980 |
| Provinces and Municipalities | 16 483 |
| Payments of Capital Assets | 8 023 |
| Building and other fixed structures | 437 |
| Machinery and Equipment | 7 586 |
| Software and other Intangible Assets | - |
| Total Economic Classification | 2 209 093 |
Hy het sy hele lewe lank
met donkies hier gewerk,
nou lê hy siek en weet hy sterf.
Sy hande eens so sterk
lê slaap maar nog so grof
en benig-groot, gegroef
en bruin soos grond, geknop
in elke vinger-lit, maar droef
soos wingerdlote in herfs
en magteloos om weer
een na die ander stofbruin rug
Hy was so dikwels in die somerson
so weinig in die kerk,
maar, Here, hy het altyd goed
met sy donkiespan gewerk.
Meer dikwels nog het hy geskel,
sy lot en U verwens,
wanneer hy in die droogteson
moes sukkel met 'n trens
Maar, Here, as hy nou voor U
kom staan, stink van die sweet,
sy hande buitemate groot
van al hul arbeidsleed,
wees tog genadig, want
sy hart was teer, ag merk:
hy het sy donkies liefgehad
en goed met hul gewerk.
Sereti se re botša ka monna yo a feditšego nako ye ntši ya bophelo bja gagwe a šoma ka sepane sa dipokolo. A hlankela batho ba gabo ka bokgabane le botshephegi bjo bo sa bapetšwego. A rata mošomo wa gagwe le sepane sa gagwe ka pelo le moya. O feditše nako ye ka moka a palelwa ke go ya kerekeng goba dithapelong.
Fela ka ge ditiro tša gagwe di mo latela, tšatši la lehu le fihlile bohle ba kgopela go Ramasadi- a-poloko, Mmabaledi wa ditšhaba, Ramaatla-ohle, Motala wa mabaka, gore anke a mo gaogele
Like the transportryer was, this is how the communities in Limpopo will remember the officials of my department, for their commitment and passion for their work and people they serve.
We profusely thank the Premier of the province for having had faith in us young as we are, and given us the opportunity to contribute and become the authority of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional leadership in the province. I also want to thank my colleagues in the Executive Council and the Veterans of our struggle, for making it possible for this department through their support to attain the height we have.
I now come to my colleagues in the department I am privileged to lead. The achievements we have attained are as a result of your collective efforts and passion. We owe it to you! It is your victory. This is the administration led by a young, enthusiastic, innovative and astute Head of Department, Mr. Nkomotane Clifford Motsepe.
To him I say, continue to leave your beautiful foot prints on the sands of time, for the lasting legacy of heroes and heroines is the permanent memory of a great name and the inheritance of an exceptional example. O šomile Kgabo wa Mmakau. A e je borehu hle! Re re o hlapišitše mašabašaba a ga bo rena ka maswi a kgomo tša badimo. Ka baka la boetapele bja gago bja go phadima, maphelo a bona a fetogile ga makgolokgolo. Rena re leboga maphone le dikudumela tša gago Mokgatla.
Many thanks to members of the Executive management, Mme Manamela, Mme Mkhize, Mr Nchabeleng. A personal word of thanks is extended to our CFO Mr Khunou who has ensured that budget commitments tally with objectives and that we spent our budget prudently. we are also greatful to Ms Dieketseng Diale for having made sure that we are constantly reminded about set targets in the department.
As President Nelson Mandela said at the opening address to the third session of parliament in Cape Town, on the 09 February 1996; “In the history of nations, generations have made their mark through their acumen to appreciate critical turning points, and with determination and creativity, to seize the moment. South Africa is well on its way to a new and better life. This we will achieve only if we shed the temptation to proceed casually along the road, only if we fully take the opportunities that beckon.”
In remembrance to all fallen heroes and heroines we summon our courage and determination to take the people of this province to the next level.
Molemi wa tšhemo ya makgolo o hwa a swere mogoma wa go hlagola ka matsogong. Welwang ke maruru!
Ke a leboga!
I thank you!
Source: Limpopo Local Government and Housing
