Ngiyabonga Somlomo
Ndunankulu we sifunda sase Gauteng
Malunga esishayamthetho
Izivakashi zethu
Nabo bonke abakhona engingabagagulanga ngama gama!!
All protocols observed!!!!
Introduction
Today being the first of June 2010, marks the International Children's Day as proclaimed by the United Nations, and today also marks the beginning of an important month, which is dedicated to the youth of South Africa, the Youth Month themed: "Gauteng youth celebrating the legacy of Nelson Mandela and contributing to nation building".
This year we celebrate the 20 years since u Tata Mandela was released from prison. Through his wisdom and of the other stalwarts of our glorious movement the ANC, we witnessed an unwavering resilience to the apartheid system, which through tireless efforts, was defeated in 1994, as all South Africans for the first time, went to the polls to elect a government of their choice.
As I have indicated earlier that today it is the International Children's Day, let us also remember the 13 year old u Hector Peterson and all other children who were victims of the system. Also let us pause and think about all the children whose childhood has been taken away from them, by senseless people.
Let us pause and think about all the children who go to bed on an empty stomach, and let's do an introspection and our conscience talk to us and at least each and every one of us contribute towards building a brighter future for our children and grand children.
This year we commemorate the 34th anniversary of 16 June. A day which was the turning point in the history of South Africa where the youth took the street armed only with bricks and dustbin lids confronting the live ammunition that had been unleashed by the police.
Honourable Speaker, as a country, we are also on the threshold of entering ourselves into the history books by becoming the first African country to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
To all those who have worked so hard thus far in building the infrastructure which will be a legacy for our communities we say "ningadinwa nangomuso", "niyibekile induku ebandla" nani niyozigqaja nitshene izizukulwane zenu ukuthi nabamba iqhaza lokuthuthukiswa kwezingqalasizinda wendebe yomhlamba ka 2010. Let's all feel it, it is here!!!!!
Our President uBaba U Gedleyihlekisa Zuma has dubbed this year "the year of action". "Government working differently", ngaloyomlayezo u Mongameli uthi makusheshwe!!!!! Let us respond to the needs of the people. Service delivery should be accelerated and let us make a difference in the lives of the people!!!
During her State of the Province Address (SOPA), Premier of Gauteng, the Honourable Ms Nomvula Mokonyane outlined the "5+2" key priorities, which are the Apex of our province. These are:
- an improved quality of basic education
- a long and healthy life for all the people
- safety and security for all
- economic growth that translates into decent work and improved living standards
- vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities with food security
- Infrastructure development and sustainable human settlements
- a responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system.
In working towards achieving and realising these key priorities, as the Department of Infrastructure Development we have identified three interventions which will be aligned with the above mentioned key priorities, and will require us to put our shoulders on the wheel and work tirelessly 24/7 in intensifying the development of our communities and the betterment of our people's lives.
These are:
- creation of decent work opportunities
- efficient localised service delivery initiatives
- enhanced infrastructure development.
In pursuit of these key issues, the department welcomes the allocation of R1.204 billion for the financial year 2010/11.
Honourable members, I would like to commit the Department of Infrastructure Development, together with our various stakeholders in the built environment, partners and the many contractor fora in all the regions of Gauteng that we intend to improve and bring closer to the people of Gauteng, essential public infrastructure.
To achieve this, we have now finalised our organogramm in order to work in meeting the mandate given to us. In the process, we have done away with the three entities, namely: the Emoyeni Trading entity, the Kopanong Precinct entity as well as the Impophoma Infrastructure
Support entity (IISE).
This has resulted in the creation of the following branches to facilitate service delivery:
- Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)
- Infrastructure Development
- Property Management
- Finance
- Corporate Services.
Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)
Honourable Speaker and honourable members, South Africa works because of
Public Works, lana sikhuluma ngemisebenzi yemphakathi. The Expanded Public Works Programme uhlelo oluqiniseka ukuthi wonke umuntu uthola
amakhono, uyaphangela futhi sikwazi nokuxosha indlala ngaphansi kwo hlelo
lwesifunda lwe "one job per household" no lwe "100 days" jobs opportunity per household.
We intend to skill the unskilled, the skilled will be employed, and once communities have been skilled especially the youth, young women and people with disabilities then we will reduce the dependency on government grants especially amongst the young women.
These skilled people will roll out the entire important social infrastructure that Government is intending to build in the various communities.
Basotho bare: "Mphe! Mphe! e ya lapisa, motho o gonwa ke sa ha ye!" So the mass mobilisation of our EPWP programme will make all the unemployed people of Gauteng to be productive. All our work will be labour intensive, the purchase of goods and services will also be locally based so that we help in the stimulation and strengthening of the local economy, specifically in the 20 prioritised townships and the 50 wards as it was identified by premier in her State of the Province Address in February this year.
With an allocation of R200 million, the EPWP will be creating 6 784 work opportunities, which would be 4 000 for youth, 2 500 for women and 284 for people with disabilities.
In addition, the EPWP requirements as well as that of labour intensity will be included in all our Capital Works projects, before a contractor signs on the dotted line. Nazi ke bo so kontraka ukuthi uma sikunika umsebenzi kuzodingeka uqashe umphakathi walapho uzobe usebenza khona and amaphecenti awu 80 makube umphakathi walapho, wena uzakuza kuphela nama phecenti awu 20 wama Professionals akho, ngisho ama Quantity Surveyor, ama engineers, njalo njalo!!!
In this financial year of 2010/11, under the EPWP community based projects, we will be completing the following projects: Soshanguve Storm Water, Tembisa Multi Purpose Community Centre (MPCC) for the aged, Eldorado Park Taxi Rank, Jamesonpark Home Based Care Centre, Kokosi Multi Purpose Community Centre (MPCC), T-Shad Recycling Plant in Tembisa, Klipspruit Hall and Pfananani Enterprise Development Centre.
We will also be constructing the Sokhumi MPCC, Zola MPCC, the running on the Eldorado Park stadium, 16 June memorial monument, Lillian Ngoyi African Market in Tshwane, pedestrian bridge in Kya–Sands, Pedestrian path and barrier (on both sides of the road) and the beautification of the area between Protea Glen and Protea South where four young people died after being knocked down by cars coming from school.
As the department that coordinates EPWP programmes in the whole province, through our intergovernmental relations working together with all the municipalities, we will be helping all the municipalities that do not receive their incentive grant from the EPWP to identify projects that we can help coordinate with them as well as with the non-state sector thus creating more job opportunities.
The other sectors that we will be strengthening will be the environment, social and culture. These entire sectors make South Africa work. Soon we will be signing a memorandum of understanding with the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) so that all those who have undergone the skills training will be accredited and they will receive certificates which they will use for future career growth and development.
National Youth Service (NYS) programme
Bathi: "uzoyithola kanjani uhlezi ekhoneni!" As a department that coordinates the National Youth Service soon we will be inviting 4 000 young people to join us in the programme of the NYS. Let me quickly describe what the intentions of the NYS programme are:
- It is a special programme that addresses the high levels of youth unemployment by creating opportunities for voluntary service and skills development for young people
- The programme supports community and national development, whilst simultaneously providing an opportunity for young people to access opportunities for skills development, employment and income generation
- It is a programme that gives young people practical experience in their various fields of qualification, whether they are graduates or unskilled young people. The Ayobaness in them is: "Bane thalente!"
In this financial year of 2010/11, the trades that we will be prioritising will be for the built industry. Together with the Department of Health and Social Development, we will be training young women on skills of project management so that they will help us with all the infrastructure projects that we are rolling out in the communities.
We hope that later in the year through the adjustment of the budget we can take an extra 1 000 young people. I am confident that the EPWP and the NYS will allow our youth to look at the construction industry as a career destination.
As a department we are pained to see that most of the built environment skills are in dire shortage, especially amongst the previously disadvantaged. We have a serious shortage of artisans, engineers in all forms in the construction industry, architects, quantity surveyors, project managers and contractors.
As a department that has been tasked as a custodian of all youth issues in the province by Premier Mokonyane, we have undertaken to rope in key stakeholders in the built environment to work together and skill our youth in these scarce skills.
I believe that we can only lay claim to progress when the bulk of the scarce skills will emerge from the villages and townships of our province.
Capital Works programme
Honourable members and Honourable Speaker! The Lefapha la Dithlabololo
amafarathlathla we have the sole mandate "to implement all the Gauteng provincial government's", capital expenditure (CAPEX) and other small, medium and large scale infrastructure projects that utilise sole or joint Gauteng provincial government.
Financial investments
As the department, we are tasked with the management of construction related projects for all Gauteng provincial government departments. This ranges from simple repairs and maintenance to multi-million rand Capital Works projects.
With a CAPEX allocation of R347.865 million, we will be completing 55 capital projects in this financial year. Members should remember that the building of infrastructure happens over two to three years. Of these CAPEX projects 10 will be for the Department of Health and Social Development, 32 schools for the Department of Education and four for the Department of Agriculture.
New building projects will be 69, which will be as follows: five for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), 52 for Department of Education (GDE) which will include the Premier's Boarding School, two emergency management services (EMS), and two electro mechanical infrastructure projects.
The money for all these CAPEX projects is found under budget statement three of the above mentioned departments. With these CAPEX projects we will see the creation of 4 506 jobs (1 752 men, 1198 women, 1 458 youth and 98 people with disabilities).
An amount of R30.702 million has been allocated for all maintenance related projects in the province. Working together with the client departments, we have identified the Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke, Helen Joseph, Tambo Memorial, Kalafong and Carletonville hospitals as our planned maintenance projects, where we will provide materials and working with the communities and cooperatives they will be providing intensified labour.
In the same breath, I would like to urge the people of Gauteng to report all maintenance related matters that relate to public infrastructure to officials within these premises and also urge them to refrain from vandalising the properties as these properties are in fact occupied by them and as such seen as their own work spaces.
Kopanong precinct
Kopanong precinct is all the government buildings in the city centre. This is where you find real service delivery. Kopanong is a place for meeting, as part of turning all Gauteng provincial government fixed properties into "centres of excellence".
We will be changing the face of all government building and making them to be beautiful and environmentally friendly, buildings of high quality and standard. We want to change the perception that government buildings are dull and ill maintained.
Together with organisations of people with disabilities, we will be making all our buildings to be accessible to people with disabilities and the aged. As custodians of all Gauteng provincial government's infrastructure, it is our duty to make these properties comfortable for the client departments and the people of Gauteng.
Soon we will be calling all interested property developers to come and help us to create a real Kopanong precinct where you will even find hair salons, supermarkets, dry cleaners, after care centres for children of our civil servants. I'm sure they won't be worried about picking their children from school. There will be people who will also help them with their homework, whilst their parents are working.
Devolution of rates and taxes
As part of making sure that we build a responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system, we have spent R263.392 million the previous financial year to pay municipalities the rates and taxes including other services such as water and electricity.
In this financial year, an amount of R191.381 million for the devolution of rates and taxes has been allocated. We call upon all municipalities to sort out their billing system
Property management
Honourable members! We cannot allow a situation where government property is hijacked or is owned by Mafias who then charge rent to unsuspecting people. All those people who are staying in government property without authorisation should heed a call of vacating those premises as we will take appropriate action.
This year, we hope to present a verified and a consolidated asset register of all Gauteng provincial government property portfolios. This includes road reserves as well as houses that were expropriated for purposes of building roads.
And starting from today, 1 June 2010, we will be charging market related rentals and persons who live in state houses and pay R500, the cost of living is now too high and you need to budget properly and pay us what is due to us. We call upon all those that know any government property to please help us in identifying it, help us to repossess our property
Onsite construction contact centres
During the road shows that we held last year, meeting with contractors throughout the length and breadth of Gauteng, one concern they emphasised was that they don't comply with the requirements of the build industry and the many laws that inhibit their growth.
Contractors that are in the peripheries of Gauteng told me that they can't even fill out a tender document nor can they work out a bill of quantities.
I'm glad to inform contractors that this year we will be officially opening construction contact centres in the three regions that have been overtaken by development, namely Sedibeng, West Rand and Metsweding Regions.
These construction contact centres will be one stop centres which will assist you in your training needs as contractors, tax clearance certificates, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) related queries, tax compliance, etc.
During this term of this government, we are going to assist, together with our stakeholders like the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), to uplift the emerging contractors. We will be putting emerging contactors especially those who are stuck in the CIDB level one to four from the poorest wards into an incubation programme, so that they are able to raise their CIDBs and be able to compete with other captains of this industry in an Incubator programme.
Honourable members, the business incubators assist emerging companies (contractors) to survive and grow during the start-up period, when they are most vulnerable through assistance, which comes in the form of mentoring, networking, funding and access to physical facilities.
Also, the incubation also creates a synergistic environment where entrepreneurs can share learning, create working partnerships and act as enablers to access markets and resources. We hope we will get maximum participation of contractors. You can't remain emerging forever!!!!
We have further identified access to building material and finance for contractors as a barrier for their development. We will, in this current financial year, be engaging with both building materials suppliers and banks to create specific institutional arrangements to assist emerging contractors once we have given them work to do so that we accelerate service delivery.
Monitoring and evaluation
A year of action is where we are and we cannot measure our impact if we as a department do not adequately monitor and evaluate ourselves. Thus, in light of government's focus on performance monitoring and evaluation, and in ensuring that all our programmes achieve our strategic objectives for the realisation of our goals; we have established a Monitoring and Evaluation unit within the department.
The key role of this unit will be to ensure that departmental performance will be monitored and evaluated against strategic and operational plans to obtain synergy between what we plan and what we do.
Strategic alignment with national and provincial priorities will be obtained by linkages with the national and provincial Planning Commissions.
In so doing, we will arrive at a situation of increased efficiency and productivity and ultimately enhanced service delivery. A better life for all, we owe it to our citizens!
Conclusion
In conclusion, Honourable Speaker and honourable members of the house; let me take this opportunity and apologies to all the service providers, contractors and small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMME) who were not paid on time and all those who are still owed.
We profusely apologise for inconveniencing you!!! We understand that we have contributed to your down fall, Re kopa le re inele matsoho mo metsing!!! Lixhoshwa libhekile!!!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the acting Head of Department, Mr Gilberto Martins who has worked tirelessly even at odd hours to make sure that the department continues to function effectively.
I say thank you much Mr Martins for being my friend and being there for me, as we started this new Department of Infrastructure Development for the past 10 months. I know it has been a very difficult time being an acting Head of Department and being undermined even by officials because you were in Hollywood.
To all the senior managers and officials who understood the mandate and came on board and helped taking this department to greater heights, thank you for contribution!!!!
To all the staff of the department, thank you for ensuring that the department works, NINGADINWA NANGOMUSO!!!!! KUYASHESHWA!! LET'S GET GAUTENG WORKING!!!!!!
To the people of Gauteng, WORKING TOGETHER!! WE CAN DO MORE!!!!
I thank you.
Ngiyabonga.
