Honourable Acting Speaker
Honourable Premier
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature
Members of the Executive Council
Executive Mayors and Mayors Present
Councillors Present
Leaders of the Opposition Parties
Traditional Leaders Present
Director-General and Heads of Departments
Senior managers and general staff
Our invited business people
Our Strategic Partners
Distinguished guests
Comrades and friends.
Honourable Acting Speaker,
It is with conviction and a sense of confidence that we welcome the opportunity for our department to place a workable plan before this house for the financial year 2013/14.
Guided by the Ruling Party’s election Manifesto for the Electoral Mandate Period of 2009 to 2014 and subsequent policy imperatives, we remain committed to critical national priorities such as: reducing poverty and unemployment, securing a more equitable distribution of economic growth benefits, reducing inequality, improving community health and skills, and ensuring universal access to basic services.
Seeing that we now have reached the last year of the fourth term of the African National Congress (ANC) led democratic government, we believe that this is a milestone, which present a meaningful opportunity for us to assess the progress we are making in our historic mission of improving the lives of our people. I must hasten though Acting Speaker to point out that whilst we celebrate the achievements we have made thus far, we are also mindful of the mammoth task that still lies ahead of us. Our resolve to tackle triple challenges of inequality, unemployment and poverty remain unflinching.
As the Department of Public Works, we are chiefly tasked with contributing towards the creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods through various integrated programmes. We also use infrastructure development to address existing historical backlogs and to lower the cost of doing business in the province so as to contribute towards attracting investors. The budget vote we are tabling today should therefore be viewed as representing our continued commitment to discharge public works functions for improved infrastructure delivery and job creation.
A brief reflection on 2012/13 departmental progress on all our Programmes namely: Administration, Expanded Public Works, Property Management and Public Works.
Honourable Acting Speaker, allow me to briefly reflect on achievements and progress made by the department over the last financial year.
In improving departmental capacity we have appointed 169 suitably qualified personnel in the fields of works infrastructure, property management, expanded public works programme (EPWP), supply chain management, finance, information technology, security management and the senior management services. Of these, 97 are males, whilst 72 are females. Youth constitute 107 of these filled positions in the department, which make 63% of all our recruitment initiatives.
The department has made 29 appointments from the bursary programme and the provincial database of unemployed youth. These young Free Staters from all walks of life are qualified in the following: Nine Civil Engineering, three Quantity Surveying, one Building Studies, two Mechanical Engineering, 10 Electrical Engineering, three in Information Technology, and one pursued B Com Finance. Of the afore-mentioned, six are females and one is differently-abled.
During the year under review, we appointed four people with disabilities of whom two are visually-impaired, and the other have challenges with mobility. Although we have improved our target from 0.08% in 2012 to 1.3%, we are still 0.7% under the national target of 2% in terms of recruiting disabled persons. We can report however that the department has in total, 24 disabled personnel as part of its workforce.
We commenced with implementation of the recognition of prior learning training programme (RPL) to ensure that we formally affirm the skills, knowledge and experience of our employees. We assisted 120 officials to participate in six trades namely: Bricklaying, Carpentry, Painting, Plastering, Plumbing and Welding. Of these, 61 have met the standards to write trade tests and they will on successful completion be appointed as fully fledged artisans in the coming financial year.
We have noted the Auditor General’s 2011/12 financial year report, which amongst others identified Departmental weaknesses ranging from: under expenditure, irregular expenditure, and incomplete asset register. The results of measures we have since instituted to correct these shortcomings should paint a positive picture going forward.
The National EPWP Target on creation of work opportunities set for the Free State province in 2012/13 was 36, 533.
As of today, we managed to create 43,565 work opportunities whereby 9,356 were full Time Equivalent calculated from 1 April 2012 to 31 December 2012. Implementation of Township Revitalisation Programme was realised in Batho, Cornelia Jagersfontein, Parys, Vredefort, Marabastad, Arlington, Thaba Nchu, Petrusburg and Allanridge. It is important to report as well that we experienced slow progress In Hennenman, Odendaalsrus and Virginia in terms of project implementation. A total of 710 work opportunities were created from work done in all the mentioned townships and we are determined to work hard to ensure that this programme is sustained going forward.
As part of our contribution to Operation Hlasela, Community works programme is implemented in Managaung Metro, Lejweleputswa and Xhariep Districts. The work performed under the programme includes cleaning of storm water channels, sweeping and cleaning of streets and public buildings. Through this programme, we succeeded to create 376 work opportunities.
The department selected 300 youth for participation under NYS programme to work and train on: Hygiene and Cleaning, Ornamental Horticulture and land-scaping, as well as construction carpentry.
Upon completion of their 12 month training, beneficiaries recruited for Hygiene and Cleaning will be employed to clean government buildings and prestige accommodation. We consider it our obligation to skill these Young People in order for them to become self-reliant hence our call to the private sector to work with us in promoting Youth Development.
Acting Speaker, last year during September we hosted the first Provincial EPWP Summit whose aim was to inter alia:
- engage key provincial stakeholders on the implementation and understanding of the programme,
- improve coordination of the programme,
- improve reporting by all implementing public bodies and
- share best practice models through participation of delegates from other provinces and municipalities.
Honourable members,
We need infrastructure to unlock economic opportunities and expand investment and jobs in the economy. But we also need to address the spatial imbalances and apartheid patterns of development. We completed 26 infrastructure projects across all the five districts to the amount of R197 424 753 million (One Hundred and Nighty Seven million, Four Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand and Seven Hundred and Fifty Three rands) on behalf of client departments and our own projects as follows:
- Fifteen schools for the Department of Education
- One Drs Quarters for the Department of Health
- Four projects for the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs
- Two projects for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
- our own two projects as the Department of Public Works and
- Two projects for the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation.
Honourable Acting Speaker, we will be completing two major projects on behalf of the Department of Health; being Mantsopa Hospital, which will be completed now at the end of March and the Trompsburg Hospital at the end of September 2013.
The department has not achieved progress in its mandate to decentralise office accommodation in the five districts due to budget reprioritisation that was effected across all departments.
We have embarked on the asset register enhancement strategy with records having been reconciled and rectified to reflect only Free State registered properties. Reconciliation of asset register between the deeds office, surveyor general and the National Public Works Department has been done to eliminate duplications. This process will be followed by the physical verification and the updating of the asset register.
In response to our previous budget vote undertaking, we wish to announce that 81 houses have been officially donated to qualifying current occupants in Charlesville/Jaggersfontein. Some of the beneficiaries of these houses are here with us Honourable Acting Speaker!
A total of eighty (80) Security Officers of the department have been trained in Basic Security under these skills programmes.
- Skills Programme 1 = Patrol Security Officer
- Skills Programme 2 = Access Control Officer
- Skills Programme 3 = Asset Protection Officer
Another 80 contract security personnel were absorbed from private security companies and posted throughout the province.
Honourable Acting Speaker,
A Poet, a Writer, a Marxist, a Revolutionary and son of the African Soil, Amilcar Cabral, once said “We must always remember that people do not fight for ideals or for the things on other people’s minds. People fight for practical things: for peace, for living better in peace, and for their children’s future. Liberty, fraternity and equality continue to be empty words for people if they do not mean a real improvement in the conditions of their lives.”
Amilcar Cabral’s words capture the essence of what the ANC led democratic government stands for, because what matters to us are those practical things and the real changes we make to the daily conditions in which people live. The budget we are tabling today will demonstrate that and is themed: “Acceleration of Infrastructure Delivery and Job Creation for Sustainable livelihoods.”
We will continue to roll back the frontiers of poverty through our various programmes that create work opportunities while simultaneously skilling our communities, particularly the youth.
Administration
Honourable Acting Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the budget vote appropriation for the 2013/14 financial year is R1 418 308 billion, this figure represents an increase of 14, 26% from the previous allocation. This appropriation will cover all the three Departmental programmes, Administration, Public Works and Expanded Public Works Programme.
We are investing in the skills base of the department, in order for us to be in a position to accelerate infrastructure delivery. We are improving our capacity in all our components; both line function and support services functions. We continue to pursue recruitment initiatives to address skills needs.
Significant improvement in socio-economic conditions requires much more than marginal expenditures on peripheral activities hence large numbers of decent employment opportunities must be generated in the economy. Honourable Acting Speaker Disabled employees comprise 1.3% of the staff establishment and I hereby commit to achieve the required 2% target by 30 September 2013. Administration as one of the Programmes has been allocated an amount of R94, 503 million.
Public Works
The National Planning Commission’s diagnostic report has observed that our country’s infrastructure remains inadequate to meet our social and economic needs. In line with this observation the National Development Plan argues that “infrastructure is not just essential for faster economic growth and higher employment. It also promotes inclusive growth, providing citizens with the means to improve their own lives and boost their incomes.”
It is therefore clear that infrastructure delivery as a cross-cutting priority needs to be accelerated if we are to successfully contribute to the economic growth of the province.
Honourable Acting Speaker, in the coming financial year we will continue with the construction of our own on-going multi-year projects namely:
- Social Development Office - KGI Building in Kroonstad,
- Testing Station in Harrismith,
- Hamilton Regional Offices in Bloemfontein and
- Lebohang Building Lifts upgrade.
In addition to the above, upgrading work is set to be implemented at:
- Provincial Government Building,
- Lengau Testing Station,
- Sand Du Plessis lifts and
- Thaba Nchu Public Works Offices.
As part of our departmental revenue enhancement, the Revolving Restaurant is going to be upgraded with the intention of renting it out to qualifying service provider at a market related price.
Property management
Honourable Acting Speaker,
The property industry is an important branch of our economy and like the rest of the economy; it has to be transformed in line with our policies. Government owns and manages a considerable slice of property in the province, and has a potential to reconfigure property relations in keeping with our vision of social change.
As indicated last year during our budget vote Acting Speaker, the department commenced with a strategic process to review all current leased office accommodation with the intention of creating an integrated leasing strategy and accommodation plan whose objectives are in line with the Property Sector Transformation Charter.
We can announce that significant progress has been made in achieving this overall plan. The department will be implementing Phase2 of property transformation comprising of a BEE funding scheme and property education program. This will include the implementation of office accommodation plan and the decentralisation plan commencing with three municipalities situated in three Districts namely: Motheo, Fezile Dabi and Thabo Mofutsanyana.
Acting Speaker, to enable Works and Property Management Programme to fulfil its objectives, R1 143 324 billion (One billion, Hundred and Fourty Three million, Three Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand Rand) has been allocated.
Expanded Public Works Programme
Honourable Acting Speaker,
The democratic government’s very first policy programme, the Reconstruction and Development Programme, states that: “Poverty is the single greatest burden of South Africa’s people. Attacking poverty and deprivation is therefore the first priority of the democratic government.”
Jwaloka karolo ya le leng la maano a Mmuso wa ANC ho lwantsha bofuma, lenaneo la Katoloso Ya Mesebetsi Ya Setjhaba (EPWP) le kenngwa tshebetsong metseng le metsaneng hore malapa a be le netefalletso ya lekeno mme bophelo bo tswele pele.
Ho latela kgoeletso ya Tonakgolo puong ya hae ya Profensi selemong se hodimo, Lefapha le tla tswela pele ho aha le ho hlabolla mebila le diterata kahara makeishene a rona tlasa lenaneo la Tlhabollo Ya Ditoropo (Township Revitalisation). Batho ba habo rona ba tla thola mesebetsi le thupello moo ba dulang teng ha tsena tsohle di etsahala.
Re hlwaile Ditoropo le Makeishini a thefutsweng haholo ke tlhokeho ya menyetla ya mesebetsi ho una molemo ha re ne re thakgola Lenaneo lena la Tlhabollo Ya Ditoropo selemong se fetileng sa ditjhelete.
Selemong sena se tla qala sa ditjhelete, mosebetsi wa kaho ya Holo Ya Setjhaba (Community Hall) o tla qala botshabelo ebile hape kaho ya Dikantoro tsa Masepala mane zamdela e tla tswela pele.
Lefapha le tla boela le hlabolle Holo tsa Setjhaba Virginia, Warden, le Phiritona. Setsha sa Maqheku le Maqhekwana mane Thaba Nchu sa BOIKETLO (Old Age Home) le sona se tla hlabollwa. Re tla etsa sohle se matleng a lefapha ho netefatsa hore mesebetsi ena kaofela e fihlella bongata ba batho ba hlokang mesebetsi.
Mohlomphehi Motsamaisi wa Dipuisano, tlhwekiso ya mabitla ke e nngwe ya mananeo ao re tswelang pele ka ona le selemong se tlo qala sa ditekanyetso.
Meralo e se e tswetse pele bakeng sa ho akaretsa dibaka tse tshwanang le: Verkeerdevlei, Wesselsbron le Mmakwane (Qwa Qwa).
Selemong se tla qala sa ditekanyetso, lenaneo la Katoloso Ya Mesebetsi Ya Setjhaba (EPWP) le tla theha menyetla ya mesebetsi e ka bang: 48,124 jwalokaha Tonakgolo a phatlaladitse Puong Ya Profensi. EPWP ka kakaretso e abetswe R180 481 million selemong se tla qala sa ditekanyetso.
Conclusion
Honourable Acting Speaker,
The task to transform the province is a collective effort of government, the private sector and our communities. This, in our province is best demonstrated through Honourable Premier Magashule’s initiative of Operation Hlasela, which is a clarion call to all our social partners and civil society to collaborate with government and work together to eliminate duplication, wastage, eradicate poverty, to tackle under-development and stimulate the economy in order to enhance the quality of life of the people of the Free State.
The strategic direction and departmental programmes we have described today constitute our plan and commitment to deliver on the mandate as entrusted on us by the people of this province.
May we take this opportunity to extend our profound gratitude to members of the Executive Council and Portfolio Committee of Public Works, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Chairperson, Me. Mantoa Thoabala and the rest of the Committee Members for their support, oversight and constructive criticism that always keep us on our toes.
Allow me Speaker, to also thank the Head of Department, Mr Maditse Seoke and his management team, the support staff in my office, and all employees of Public Works. It is appropriate at this point that I should also thank the former HOD Me Mokone Nthongoa for her invaluable contribution during her stay in the department.
Our special thanks go to Honourable Premier, Mr ES Magashule, who has given us the responsibility in a department that is charged with the delivery of socio-economic infrastructure development and job creation in the province.
I wish to thank my family for their continued understanding and unwavering support towards my demanding responsibilities. And also, I want to thank my former teachers who have shaped me to become the person I am today. They are here with us today as my special guests!
Honourable Acting Speaker, the former President of the African National Congress Oliver Reginald Tambo once said “The answer cannot be quick or easy. But it must be found and found, not in words but in deeds, in action in struggle. It requires that we should know the goals of the national democratic revolution and refuse to fall victim to promises of pies-in-sky made by demagogues who know they cannot even deliver a stale slice of bread.”
Indeed we must remain true to this conviction by continuing to serve our people with honesty and dedication and deliver basic needs which are essential to people’s dignity. I now table the budget for the Department of Public Works, and accordingly request the house to approve it.
Thank you.
