Honourable Speaker of the Provincial Legislature,
Members of the Executive Council,
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Honourable leaders of political parties and traditional leaders,
Executive Mayors and Mayors,
Heads of the Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety and
Liaison, all Senior Managers from all spheres of government,
Friends, comrades and fellow citizens of the North West
When the Honourable Premier of the North West announced the reconfigurations of departments towards the end of last year, it marked a significant advance towards the realisation of our collective desire to build sustainable human settlements under conditions of peace, safety and security.
For us the merging of human settlements and public safety was a clear line of march and a critical policy statement by the Premier: Safety is an integral part of sustainable human settlements!
When we were honoured with this additional responsibility, we had no illusions about the enormity of the challenges that lay ahead. We have learnt that rather than assuming a defeatist posture when confronted by daunting challenges, we must stay focused, proceed with determination and relentlessness, for obstacles that stand in the way of progress can never be insurmountable. And so we did what we always do best: Hit the road running! For our mandate was as clear as crystal!
Almost four months later, I can state without any equivocation or fear of contradiction that the newly reconfigured department has now fully emerged as a united and potent force of governance and service delivery!
Honourable Speaker, I stand here before you this morning to reflect on the extent which we have been able to meet the undertakings we made in this House last year. We also wish to share with you our vision and delivery agenda for the coming years.
Public safety and liaison
On the public safety and liaison branch, we have succeeded in delivering to our country and the world one of the safest and secure FIFA World Cup tournaments ever! We were able to achieve this because of working together with our sister departments and other role players.
The World Cup has demonstrated beyond any doubt that a critical ingredient for a successful war on crime is proper planning and collective effort. This will go down in history as one of the key legacies to have been bequeathed to us by the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament. As a result of our own practical experience, today we can assertion: “When shared the burden is lighter”.
As you are aware, we have been charged with the responsibility of exercising civilian oversight over the South African Police Service.
Among other things, we discharge this responsibility through regular visits to police stations to assess the quality of service delivery and to recommend appropriate interventions where necessary.I am pleased to inform this House that during the year under review, we have once again managed to assess the state of service delivery at all 81 police stations in the province, both through announced and unannounced visits.
Honourable Speaker, we are proud to inform your house that there is a marked improvement in the general performance of all our police stations. Whilst this progress is laudable, we believe that more still needs to be done to ensure that they address all weaknesses that were identified in the previous oversight reports and to attend to the concerns that have been raised on service delivery matters. Consistent with our commitment to public accountability and transparency, we will, in due course, share our findings for 2010/11 with the Portfolio Committee and all other relevant stakeholders.
Honourable Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the new Secretariat for Safety and Security Bill will soon go through Parliament. It will dramatically change the nature of monitoring and oversight of the South African Police Service. The introduction of the National Monitoring Tool will assist to assess all police stations focusing on same areas country wide in order to bench mark their performance. Our other concern in the province has been the spate of farm attacks as well as the ongoing brutality against farm workers. We are determined to tighten our monitoring of the South African Police Rural Safety Plan. I will however outline this plan in due course.
Honourable Speaker, we have developed a framework that assists in the determination of policing priorities. This framework empowers communities to participate meaningfully in determining their sector policing needs and their own contribution in the fight against crime. We will, during the course of this year, monitor the extent to which the police implement the framework.
Coordination of crime prevention and community police relations
We have endeavoured to popularise the Crime Prevention through environmental design strategy through various workshops and letsema activities. These activities were led by respective Municipal Councillors and Mayors. Communities were actively involved through the participation of CPFs, ordinary citizens and government officials. We continue to inculcate the idea of including this strategy in the Integrated Development Plans of Municipalities.
We have demonstrated its implementation through de-bushing crime hotpots in various municipalities. During the year under review, we have successfully cleared four crime hotspots and will continue with the same project in 2011. Our challenge is the sustainability of these areas through continued maintenance by the municipalities.
Piloting Community Patrollers Programme
The department has a responsibility to mobilise communities against crime. We have identified community patroller’s programmes as one of the areas in which our communities can assist the police in the fight against crime. We therefore piloted the Community Patrollers Programme during the FIFA World Cup using 150 members of the Community Police Forums and other volunteers from Rustenburg Policing Cluster. They were responsible for patrolling strategic points and other crime hotspots and distributing safety tips to both tourists and local community members within the Rustenburg town.
We are proud to announce that the programme was successful and will be rolled out throughout the province. A total of 500 community patrollers will be appointed through our Expanded Public Works Programme. We are also aware that there are similar structures in Stilfontein and Kanana (Klerksdorp). Our aim is to provide them with similar training and continuous guidance.
Community Policing Forums
Honourable Speaker, allow me to thank all members of the Community Police Forums for the sterling work in partnering with the police in the fight against crime. We will continue to provide them with the necessary support they need, especially capacity building.
Campaign on destroying the market for stolen goods
We remain concerned that members of our communities continue to buy stolen goods. As a result, the department jointly with the South African Police Service and the Community Police Forums successfully embarked on a campaign to destroy the market for stolen goods. We have done this through the broadcast media, targeting mainly stock-theft, shoplifting and dealing in counterfeit goods.
Traffic Management and SAPS highlights
During the year under review, the department conducted about six thousand and thirteen speed law enforcement operations, two thousand eight hundred and eighty eight (2 888) special operations including seatbelt, public transport, cellphone, and moving violation operations, thirty eight (38) cross border operations in cooperation with other provinces, eight hundred and fourteen (814) roadblocks as well as seventeen thousand and fifty three (1 733)patrols on routes with high accident rates to ensure visible traffic policing.
Of these operations ninety six thousand motorists were charged for moving violations, thirty six thousand summons were issued for defects on motor vehicles and thirty thousand for other offenses, two hundred and eighty motorists were arrested for various offences including drunken driving, speeding and forged documentation.
In July 2009, Ministers, high-level government officials and road safety activists from across Africa pledged support for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety on the continent and around the
world.The National Rolling Enforcement Plan was developed with the view to provide a national blueprint for effective and coordinated enforcement operations to make the highest impact on offences and crashes on our roads. We are pleased to announce that we have successfully launched the National Rolling enforcement plan in the province. Our target on a monthly basis is to stop and screen sixty thousand motor vehicles and this has been achieved.
We will continue with the following operations:
- Safer Easter April 2011
- Juggernaut May 2011, which will focus on safety belts, driver fitness, cellphones, baby seats
- Footloose June 2011 – which is targeted at pedestrians
- Zero tolerance July 2011
- Clean Sweep August 2011
- Don’t Drink and Drive September 2011.
Arrive Alive Campaign
In all Arrive Alive operations for the past five years, speeding contributed 36% towards fatal accidents on our roads followed by pedestrian deaths at 25%, unsafe overtaking seven percent, hit and run seven percent and others eight percent We are therefore putting stringent measures during this Easter Arrive Alive in order to save lives and deal with offenders.
Drunken Driving also remains a huge problem for us. Following our partnership with the South African Breweries, we will establish two Alcohol Evidence Centres in Bojanala and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts to ensure that we deal harshly with drunken drivers.
As we embark on our Easter holidays, I call on all our people to help reduce the carnage on our roads. We call all to obey the rules of the road and respect fellow road users. Over the years, we have witnessed unnecessary deaths as a result of reckless driving, speed, fatigue and drunken driving, among other things.
I wish to remind the people of our province that our law-enforcement officers will be out in force to ensure the safety of all our road users. Those who violate traffic rules and put the lives of others in danger will face the full might of the law.
Weighbridge Management
In 2010/11, the Weighbridges were operational for a total of 22 341 hours. Forty Eight Thousand Six hundred and Forty Five vehicles were screened for mass overloading. We are working on increasing the hours by activating the two non-operational weighbridges of Ventersdorp and Wolmaransstad this financial year. We are confident that this will contribute towards job creation.
We have developed plans to take over all the Weighbridges that have been managed by service providers. The Koster weighbridge will now for the first time be managed by the department. We intend operating all these weighbridges ourselves. The money we save through this process will be utilised for job creation.
Mafikeng Safety Plan
The Premier in her State of the province address called on all the departments to contribute towards the revival of Mafikeng. I am pleased to announce that we have put together extra-ordinary measures through the Mafikeng Safety Plan which I launched together with the Easter
Arrive Alive campaign on 15 April. To date, we have successfully executed four thousand eight hundred and eighty six (4 886) actions with one hundred and eighty (180) physical arrests for various crimes of which three were for stock theft, four for murder, seven for sexual offences.
We will also appoint traffic wardens to assist at high traffic control points to ease traffic. We assure this house that we will deal harshly with all the offenders in the city and also call upon members to assist us in reporting any violations.
Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO)
You will recall that we announced the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act by March 2010.
We can confirm that the province is 85% ready and will therefore be able to implement upon the announcement by the Minister.
Let me now report on our major successes from the South African Police Service. The 14 Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences
Units charged and prosecuted 140 suspects for rape. In all cases sentences ranged from 10, 30, 50 years and life imprisonment.
Driving testing centres
Our driving licence testing centres remain a challenge if we have to provide effective and efficient services to the public. During the past year, the inspectorate in my department detected irregularities as well as shortcomings at various municipalities’ testing centres in the province. Of major concern is the non-compliance by municipalities with the National Road Traffic Act leading to closure of some centres. It is unfortunate that closure of these centres is provided by law and we are aware of its effect to the public.
In Tlokwe Municipality alone, about 1895 illegal learners’ licences were issued. This cannot be allowed! These drivers are the main contributors of road accidents simply because they have not gone through proper testing. I must however assure the House that the Department will take over some of these centres that are non-compliant.
Another concern recorded by the department from the testing centres is the shortage of examiners resulting in poor service delivery. We will however recruit and train 10 examiners in order to assist struggling municipalities.
Road Safety Promotions
Honourable Speaker, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, drunken driving, speeding and stray animals are matters of major concern to all of us. We therefore embarked on road safety promotions focusing specifically on these issues. We rolled out this programme through the distribution of road safety messages to the public and electronic print media campaigns.
Community Engagement Programme
During the past year, we piloted the Stray Animals campaign jointly with Greater Taung Municipality, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Bojanala and Bogosi
jwa rona. We appointed fifty-two (52) road safety rangers to remove animals on the road that are contributing towards accidents. The project yielded positive results and we will roll it out in this financial year with the assistance of Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport through the Expanded Public Work Programme where 500 Road Safety Rangers will be appointed. 250 volunteers will be appointed in the current year to assist the Department with management of scholar patrols and some pedestrian crossings.
We have successfully established 23 local road safety councils to ensure community involvement in addressing road safety related matters. We will launch the Provincial Road Safety Forum in May 2011 that will serve as an advisory body to government on such matters. Scholar patrol continues to be our flagship project considering the commitment by learners to ensure safe crossing on our provincial and municipal roads.
We have the responsibility to ensure that they are properly trained and resourced to carry out this task. We have already trained and insured 3 250 learners as scholar patrollers and 325 supervisors supplied them with equipment to the value of R3 000.
We have conducted workshops on the multimedia project which aims to assist in the integration of road safety into the school curriculum to 95 educators. As we speak a number of workshops are underway. This is done in partnership with South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) and Bakwena Platinum Concessionaries.
We will pilot learner driver licence project to the Grade 12 learners. This will be in response to the Ministers’ call that all Grade 12 learners should leave the school with either a learners or drivers license. We will continue to implement the Driver Enhancement programme with the commitment made by Atamelang Bus, M A N Trucks and Bus and other sponsors with the aim of improving driving skills.
Operation duty calls festive season successes
Towards the end of last year, we launched the Operation duty calls campaign. The department, in partnership with the South African Police Serviceand other government departments held operations during festive season which focused on contact, property related, trio crimes (residential robberies; business robberies; car /truck hijacking; bank robbery; robbery of cash in transit). In addition the operation concentrated on securing shopping malls and combating of ATM blasts; Border Security was included in this focus, together with social crime prevention operations dealing with the crimes against women and children.
A total of six thousand one hundred and forty four (6144) arrests were made during the operation, eighty four (84) firearms were seized, including magazines and one hundred and ninety three (193) rounds of ammunition. Seizures included, inter alia, sixty seven (67) vehicles, 146,618 kilograms of dagga and mandrax (65), cocaine (18), ecstasy (44), heroine (25), and rocks (38) total is 190.
Implementation of the rural safety strategy
Strong focus has been given to the practical implementation of the rural safety strategy. In this regard twelve (12) workshops were held by SAPS and all role players; Stock theft Operations were held and are still continuing. Particular attention was given to cross border Operation, farm attacks stock theft and building relationship between the farm workers and the farmers.
A total of four hundred and ninety eighty (498) cattle, eight hundred and sixty four (864) sheeps, eight hundred and thirty five (835) goats were recovered and handed over to the lawful owners.
Our main challenges on investigation of stock theft cases are lack of branding of live stock by communities, pounds and fencing. We are working together with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Rural Development.
Crime situation in the province
During the period under review, we managed to decrease Contact Crimes, Trio Crimes, Property and Farm Attacks. We will continue tointensify our war on farm attacks as well as crimes against farm workers.
The following successes were recorded by the Hawks:
- Eight Hundred and Seventeen (817) arrests were made for theft possession of Copper cable and seventy six (76) have been found guilty and sentenced.
- Forty Five people were convicted and sentenced to R1 000 or four months imprisonment for vehicle related crimes.
- Nineteen (19) were found guilty as charged. Sentences ranged from two to five years imprisonment for corruption.
- Three Hundred and Three (303) people were found guilty as charged and sentenced to eight months imprisonment for illegal mining.
- Thirteen (13) people were found guilty as charged and sentences range from five years to life imprisonment for murder.
- Fifty seven (57) for armed robbery
New police stations
Four police stations, namely, Klipgat, Jouberton, Amalia and Hebron will be officially opened during 2011 in order to enhance service delivery to the communities. Through our Private Public Partnership, the department will be handing over Robega Police Station soon.
Municipal elections
Honourable Speaker, our people will be heading to the polls on 18 May 2011 to elect their local representatives. Our responsibility is to ensure that all political parties campaign in an environment of safety and security.
In addition, we will ensure that all voters are free to cast their votes without fear of violence or intimidation. Our plans are in place and our efforts have already been noticed.
I therefore call on all eligible voters to perform their democratic and civic duties by voting on polling day. Your safety and security is guaranteed.
Revenue collection
We have collected revenue of R232, 009, 249.79 which exceeded our projections of R212, 579, 000. The over-collection of revenue resulted from the over performance in certain categories or revenue classifications as follow:
Revenue enhancement plan
The Revenue Maximisation and Related Service Delivery Improvement Strategy has been finalised and will be implemented in this financial year.
The data regarding motor dealerships and long outstanding license debts had already been extracted from the system and an execution plan on how to address this process will be finalized in the first quarter of the 2011/12. A team of Law Enforcement Officers will be established per district for the execution of the plan, especially the visits to the motor dealerships to ensure compliance with the Road Traffic Regulations.
Establishment of a registering and licensing office at Letlhabile and Hartbeespoortdam
As part of maximising revenue collection, three Satellite Registering Authorities planned forHartbeespoortdam, Letlhabile and Marikana. This move is intended to respond to the vastness of the two cities.
The establishment of these satellite offices will reduce the strain on both the Brits and Rustenburg Motor Vehicles Registration Authorities, and the motorists who have to travel long distances in the areas of Fafung, Maboloka and Marikana to acquire such services. These satellite offices will assist those who only wish to renew their motor vehicles and drivers licenses.
As a department, we have made visible impact in the area of innovative service delivery. Through Operation Lemoga, we have demonstrated how innovation can enhance service delivery. Operation Lemoga is an innovative project that started in 2005 within the Directorate: Revenue and Internal Control with a view to assisting all motorists and or members of the general public in addressing matters affecting ownership of their fleet or vehicles.
Since its operation, the project had seen a large number of people visiting all registering authorities to seek assistance in relation to information received through pamphlets and licence disks, written in three languages i.e. Setswana, English and Afrikaans.
The project managed to reach and share information with more than 90 000 motor vehicle owners in the Province since 2005. The project was nominated to the All Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards, and the adjudication of the project was held on the 15th March 2011. The project is now one of the finalists and has been invited to exhibit its innovation during the seventh Conference of African Ministers of Public/Civil Service. This prestigious event will be held from the 09th – 14 May 2011, in Kenya at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) grounds.
During the current financial year, in addition to the priorities that we have already identified, we will also focus on the following: Bojanala Platinum Crime Prevention summit, funding of community policing forums and crime prevention non profit organisation, general safety promotions and education campaigns, capacity building for road safety councils and launch of provincial council, revamping of north west number plates for compliance with regulations, road safety rangers and volunteers as part of the expanded public works programme (EPWP).
Honourable Speaker, I have the honour of presenting the departmental budget (Vote 5), for the Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison (Public Safety and Liaison branch) for the 2011/12:
Budget per programme
|
Budget per programme |
R ‘000 |
Amount in words |
|
1.Management Administrations |
109,340 |
One hundred and nine million, three hundred and forty thousand Rand |
|
2.Crime Preventionand community Police Relations |
37,875 |
Thirty seven million, eight hundred and seventy five thousand Rand |
|
3.Transport Regulation |
202,917 |
Two hundred and two million, nine hundred and seventeen thousand Rand |
|
Total programme budget |
350,132 |
Three hundred and fifty million, one hundred and thirty two thousand Rand |
|
Budget Per Economic Classification |
R ‘000 |
Amount in words |
|
Compensation of employees |
245,800 |
Two hundred and forty five million, eight hundred thousand Rand) |
|
Goods and services |
98,388 |
Ninety eight million, three hundred eighty eight thousand Rand |
|
Transfer payments |
3,479 |
Three million, four hundred and seventy nine thousand Rand |
|
Equipment |
2,465 |
Two million, four hundred and sixty five thousand Rand |
Human settlements
Honourable Speaker, last year I made a commitment to promote housing as a key element of municipalities’ Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). In this regard, we offered financial assistance to the municipalities of Madibeng, Rustenburg, Ditsobotla and Greater Taung to review their housing Plans.
We have also given technical and financial assistance to the value of one million eight hundred thousand rands to Molopo, Kagisano, Naledi, Ratlou, Mamusa and Moretele municipalities to develop their housing sector plans. This year we intend to assist ten municipalities to review their plans in line with the current political mandate as well as Outcome 8.
We are also in the process of reviewing and updating the Provincial Multi-Year Housing Development Plan. We hope to conclude this process during the course of this year.
We also made an undertaking to effectively monitor and evaluate the performance of our housing programmes and projects to enable us to intervene appropriately and timeously to minimise the phenomenon of “blocked projects”. In this regard, we have established a unit that will focus on monitoring and evaluation. The capacity of this unit to discharge its responsibility will be critical.
We have already appointed additional inspectors as part of our commitment to ensure quality work. We are also reviewing our organisational structure in order to address the lack of technical skills, especially at district level where actual delivery takes place. This process is at an advanced stage of completion.
Last year, I identified lack of suitable and appropriately located land as a constraint on our capacity to make a decisive dent on the housing backlog. In this regard, we signed an implementation protocol with the Housing Development Agency, and are now in the process of identifying land for housing development.
Our people will recall that last year we made a firm commitment that we would complete the construction of 14 000 houses. I am happy to announce to this house that we have exceeded this target by completing 16 816 houses. We also delivered 470 family units as part of our hostel upgrading programme. Honourable Speaker, without blowing our own horn, we have moved from a disclaimer to a qualified audit opinion which is in line with the government priority for clean audit by 2014. For this achievement, credit should go to officials in our department and all our partners in housing delivery. This is an example of what we mean when we say: “Working together we can do more!”
Honourable Speaker, last year we also pledged to deal urgently and decisively with the challenge of illegal occupation of RDP houses. We are working with the national Department of Human Settlements to address this problem. While the national process is unfolding, we have encouraged municipalities to develop by-laws that will address land invasions.
Honourable Speaker, our partnership with the private sector that wealluded to last year is firmly on track. Our partnership agreement with Impala Platinum, Anglo Platinum and the National Housing Finance Corporation is bearing tangible fruit. In October last year, we unveiled the Sunrise View Housing project in Boitekong, near Rustenburg. More than 1 500 homes have been built for workers at Impala Platinum Mine. In due course, we will be launching the housing project initiated with Anglo Platinum.
Consistent with government’s vision of integrated human settlements, these settlements have social amenities such as schools, places of worship and clinics. This is a true model of the Human Settlements we seek to achieve where we will school, leisure, play and live close to our workplaces.
Sunrise View is an example of what the people of South Africa can achieve, if they work together in the reconstruction and development of our nation. It also gives concrete expression to the notion of partnership with the private sector.
Through initiatives such as these, we hope to improve housing delivery in the province by accommodating people who earn between R3 500 and R7 500, respectively.
I am pleased to inform the house that the North West Rental Housing Tribunal has registered significant progress since its appointment in 2010. It has ensured that the rights of tenants and landlords are protected as stipulated in the Rental Housing Act. We will intensify our outreach programmes and ensure that rental housing information officers are appointed in all municipalities.
Honourable Speaker, you will recall that last year we identified Rustenburg, Matlosana, Tlokwe, Madibeng and Mafikeng local municipalities for accreditation over the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) period. Following an intense and rigorous assessment of applications from all five municipalities, the Department approved Rustenburg, Matlosana and Tlokwe for level one accreditation.
The department has taken over some projects from municipalities and discontinued tranche payments. The department has conducted tranche payment reconciliations in municipalities across the Province including Cross-Boundary municipalities. Of the reconciliations, fourteen municipalities have been concluded and finalised, twelve are still in work progress and only two are outstanding.
During the course of last year, the Department appointed 23 women contractors from the Departmental database to ensure continuous development and empowerment of women in construction. It is however, important to remember that all contractors are expected to comply with relevant policies and specific standards. Among other things, this means registration with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).
Last year, we embarked on a National Women’s Build Programme which yielded 54 standard quality houses in Coligny. Let me take this opportunity to invite Members of the Provincial Legislature and the general public to go to Coligny to view these houses (Tokzani). The National Women Build is a Letsema project seeks to accelerate housing delivery in the country by annually constructing housing units for the vulnerable and marginalised women during the Women’s month in August. If ever there is a lesson that we have learned during this campaign, is that there are many challenges we need to address and overcome if women empowerment in the construction sector is to become a reality.
Honourable Speaker, we intend building over 13 900 houses during the 2011/12 financial year. It is worth noting that the country has moved towards the direction of outcomes-based performance. This outcomes approach to the work of government aims at doing things differently. It ensures that government’s programme of action is driven by tangible outcomes and measurable outputs in order to improve the lives of the people and to be held accountable to the electorate.
Priorities set by the President for delivery within the MTEF period in the country addresses informal settlement upgrading, affordable housing rental, affordable housing finance and land acquisition. The North West department of Human Settlements has been given targets that have to be realised by the end of MTEF. These outcomes and outputs effectively mark the beginning of a process for improving government performance and providing focus to our delivery.
To this effect, I have signed Delivery Protocol with the Honourable Premier of the North West province as well as the Service Delivery Agreement with the Minister for Human Settlements to deliver on certain outputs within the next three years.
In line with these signed Service Delivery Agreements, we will upgrade 28 840 units as part of our informal settlements upgrading programme. We are confident that this target is realistic. We have the resources to ensure that all the 139 informal settlements are covered.
We intend building 5 768 units which constitute affordable Rental/Social Housing Stock and this target can only be implemented through collective effort with both public and private sector. Whilst we are still working on this partnership, we will in the meantime, attempt to deliver on this mandate on our own.
We intend delivering 43 260 units through the affordable housing finance programme. To achieve this target, requires partnership with banks to give loans to beneficiaries whilst the department gives subsidies according to salary bands of individual beneficiaries.
This problem has been acknowledged by the Presidency and R1 billion has been put aside, managed by National Housing Finance Corporation, to help the entire country on the delivery of this category of houses.
In addition, the department is expected to contribute towards acquisition of six thousand two hundred and fifty hectares state owned land in the country.
In 2011/12 the department is expected to implement different housing programmes as stipulated by the Housing Code. Some of these projects will be completed this financial year, some will be unblocked while others are new projects all together.
The department has planned to deliver ten thousand nine hundred and forty eight (10 948) units and service two thousand eight hundred and fifty one 2 851 sites as part of informal settlement upgrading at a cost of R656,101,423.74.
Four hundred and thirty two units as part of Affordable Rental Housing will be implemented. An amount of R75,363,869.53 has been set aside for this purpose.
Ninety-two (92) units will be constructed through the Affordable Housing
Finance (FLISP) scheme at a cost of R5,390,495.52. We will purchase 259.67 hectares of private land in Ventersdorp during this financial year to accelerate housing delivery. We have set aside R14 million for this purpose.
During this financial year, we intend upgrading sixty nine informal settlements. This intervention will have a direct impact on more than eleven thousand households. In line with our rural housing programme, we plan to deliver 294 housing units and service 1678 sites at a cost of R46,5 million. As part of our rectification programme, we have earmarked one hundred and seventy seven housing units and R9,8 million has been set aside for this purpose.
The department has been allocated one conditional grant which is the Integrated Human Settlements Grant, which represents a 16% decrease from the 2010/11 to 2011/12. The departmental equitable share has been reduced by five percent compared to the 2010/11 financial year. This poses a serious constraint on the part of the department, especially with regard to our desire to attract qualified and skilled professionals.
The department has developed a turn-around strategy in order to curb corruption and shoddy work through decentralisation of its operations to all four regions with a view to improve efficiency and to bring services closer to the people. However, this process has budgetary challenges. In order to fully implement the organisational structure of the Human
Settlements Branch, an amount of R247 million is required and only R91 million has been allocated; resulting in a shortfall of R156 million.
Honourable Speaker, this year we will once again celebrate the life, values and ideals of our very own icon, Nelson Mandela, by making a difference in the lives of the poor. During Mandela Week, we will deliver 50 houses in Moubane wa Seolong (Mabieskraal), at Moses KotaneLocal Municipality, as part of our commitment to address the plight of the most needy citizens of our province.
We will also deliver fifty houses in Kokomeng Village in Greater Taung Local Municipality as part of observing the 16 Days of Activism against the abuse of women and children. Honourable Speaker, you will recall that last year we handed over ten houses in Cokonyane, Taung. This intervention by the Department is part of our commitment to reduce mud houses in the Greater Taung area.
The visit by the Deputy President of our country, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, to Taung as part of the War on Poverty programme recently further highlighted the correctness of our focus in the area. Following household visits by the Deputy President, we have identified families who need houses. The process of delivering on this pledge is at an advanced stage.
Consistent with the pronouncement we made last year, the process of winding down the North West Housing Corporation is unfolding and is envisaged to be completed towards the end of this year. We are currently busy with the due diligence exercise and asset verification process, which has emerged as a key challenge. The process of winding down this entity will be long and hard. However, we are determined to spare no effort in our determination to deal with all the challenges we have already identified.
Consistent with the undertaking we made last year, I am pleased to announce that Adult Basic Education Training (ABET) programme is up and running with an intake of thirty-one learners. As a department, we take this programme very seriously. We believe that acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills will empower all employees to become even more productive and help them to take control over their own lives. This programme will assist us to deal with one of the key legacies of our apartheid past.
Honourable Speaker, as you may be aware that the 2011/12 financial year has been declared as the year for job creation, our contribution towards this course is to create 6 776 jobs for this current financial year. Approximately 7 062 jobs were created during the previous financial year.
The budget we are going to table today has been reduced by 16% as indicated earlier. All provincial departments of Human Settlements were subjected to the 80/20 split budget adjustment framework to accommodate the Urban Settlements Development Grant, Outcome 8 outputs and national priority projects.
May I now table the budget of the Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison – Human Settlements Branch Vote 15.
|
Department Of Human Settlements, Public Safety & Liaison |
|
|
Human Settlements Branch : Vote 15 |
|
|
"000" |
|
|
Conditional Grant |
998,376 |
|
Equitable Share |
140,495 |
|
Departmental Revenue To Be Raised |
100 |
|
Total departmental summary |
1,138,971 |
|
Budget allocation as per programme level |
||
|
Programme |
Budgetallocation for 2011/12 |
|
|
"000" |
||
|
Administration |
106,054 |
|
|
Housing needs, research & planning |
6,176 |
|
|
Housing development |
1,026,741 |
|
|
Total as per programme |
1,138,971 |
|
Honourable Speaker, we are mindful of the monumental challenges that lie ahead. We are determined to confront these with every ounce of our energies. We know as a matter of fact that failure is not an option.
Daunting tasks are not necessarily insurmountable.
Finally, let me take this opportunity to thank the following:
- The African National Congress, the organization that deployed me to this position
- The Honourable Premier, Mme Thandi Modise for entrusting me with this enormous task.
- The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Ms Wendy Matsomela and Members.
- The two Heads of Department, Mr Thupi Mokhatla and Mr Bailey Mahlakoleng for providing leadership. May I also express my appreciation to Mr Iqbal Motala for the sterling work he has done as HOD for the Department of Public Safety and Liaison.
- All officials and employees of the Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison,
- My heartfelt gratitude also goes to my family, in particular my dear husband, Patrick; my precious children, Pana, Koketso, Tshepiso, Maso, Munaka, and Princess Tumiso Junior; as well as my dear mother, Dumelang. Without their support, I would have not delivered to the desired expectation.
- And most importantly, I would like to thank God the Almighty for giving me the strength and vision to lead.
Indeed, working together, we can do more!
Thank you.
Enquiries:
Cornelius Tanana Monama
Cell: 082 578 4063
