Programme Director,
Mayor of Harry Gwala District Municipality, previously Sisonke;
Mayor of Greater Kokstad;
The chair of the Provincial KZN House of Traditional Leaders;
Councillors;
Officials;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Siyanibingelela nonke;
Ngithanda ukuzwakalisa ukubonga kakhulu ngokuthi ningumphakathi walapha e- Kokstad nikwazile ukuba nihlanganyele kanye nathi kulomsebenzi okuhloswe ngawo ukuletha impilo engcono kubantu abebekade bebukelwa phansi ngohulumeni abadlula bencindezelo.
Thank you indeed for making yourselves available for this important occasion as we unveil one of the most important developments which is being brought about by the democratic government with the aim of improving the lives of the people who were previously neglected by the past oppressive regimes.
The government of today, which you have voted into office, has made it its key priority to foster an equal society where not only white communities are provided with basic services such as water and roads, but even blacks, coloureds and Indians live under decent conditions.
Mphathi wohlelo, sithe-ke singuhulumeni eniwukhethile, masivele namuhla lapha phakathi kwenu ukuze sikwazi ukwethula imisebenzi esesiyenzile ukuzama ukuthuthukisa indlela yokuphila kwenu njengoba senza nje nakwezinye izindawo eziningi KwaZulu-Natal sibambisene singuhulumeni wesifundazwe, omasipala kanye namakhosi.
Ngemisebenzi eyenziwa nguhulumeni nefuze lona esingawo namuhla, impela kusinika ithemba sonke ukubona ukuthi ikusasa labantu ba-KwaZulu-Natali ngeke lisaphinde libe ngelimfiliba, kepha sekuyoba khona ubungcono empilweni nobuyoze buthakaselwe nayizizukulwane ezizayo.
Izinhlelo zentuthuko esizenzayo zingubufakazi besethembiso esenziwa yingqalabutho esiyazi sonke emzabalazweni, nokunguyena owaba nguMongameli wokuqala sekufike inkululeko ngo 1994, ubaba uMadiba. Wathi uTata: “Akusophinde nanini nanini ukuthi lelizwe elihle kangaka libe nesimo lapho omunye eyocindezela omunye.”
Programme Director, the development that government is fast-tracking through service delivery projects across the province is truly in keeping with the vow made by our founding president of a free South Africa, Mr Nelson Mandela, who stated: “Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”
When the colonial and apartheid masters consciously dispossessed you of decent living conditions and services, such was actually the kind of oppression that Madiba was throwing in the graves through his statement.
The provision of clean water, a dignified toilet system and decent transport and roads is proof of the commitment by today’s government, which is led by the African National Congress, to ensure that everyone is equal in terms of the living conditions we enjoy, and no-one sees themselves as better than the other.
Mphathi wohlelo, sigcizelela ukuthi-ke izinhlelo zokulethela abantu amanzi ahlanzekile, izindlu zangasese kanye nokuthuthwa kwendle okunesithunzi, kanye nemigwaqo nezinto zokuthutha okusesimweni, kuyizidingo-ngqangi lezi esiziletha ngenhloso yokuba kubekhona ukuphila ngokufanana kwezinhlanga zonke esifundazweni sakithi, kungabikho abazibona bebakhulu futhi bengcono kunabanye.
Lohulumeni eniwukhethile, oholwa yinhlangano i-ANC, uzibophezele ukuba lokhu kulingana kusatshalaliswe kuzona zonke izingxenye zesifundazwe sa-KwaZulu-Natali.
Indawo yalapha e-Kokstad ingezinye zezingxenye zesifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natali lapho khona abantu abamnyama nabesizwe samakhalathi, babecindezelwe bebandlululiwe kakhulu ekulethweni kwezidingo zempilo. Namuhla silapha ukuba sizoqeda nya ukuphila ngokungalingani kwabantu balapha.
Uhulumeni oholwa ngubaba uMsholozi usuqhamuke nohlelo olufana nebalazwe elizosilawula ukuthi makuhanjwe ngayiphi indlela nakanjani ukuze kuthi kufika iminyaka cishe engamashumi amabili ezayo, kube sekudaleke amathuba emisebenzi kubantu bonke, nendlala ibe ingasekho kuwona wonke amakhaya.
Usuwethuliwe-ke lomhlahlandlela, wethulwa izifundazwe zonke, nokumanje siphezu kokuba siwusabalalise emazingeni omasipala. Kepha njengoba silapha nje sihlangene nani bantu base Franklin nase Shayamoya, kuyacaca ukuthi sesivele sesiqalile ukusebenza ngaphansi kwemigomo yalomkhombandlela kazwelonke, owaziwa ngokuthi uHlelo Lokuthuthukisa iZwe.
Angithi phela sesilifundile lelibalazwe, sesiyaqonda kahle ukuthi kumele sihambe ngalendlela esihamba ngayo namuhla ukuze singalahleki enkambweni eyosiholela empilweni elinganayo kubona bonke abantu ngaphansi komthunzi welanga eNingizimu Afrika.
Programme Director, black and coloured areas here in Kokstad were among the communities who suffered from the experience of oppression which manifested itself through huge disparities in terms of service delivery.
Today’s government of the people, led by our President, His Excellency Mr Jabob Zuma, has already developed a national roadmap that is directing the entire country towards full democracy where there shall be jobs for everyone and where there shall be no poverty. Our presence here today is an example of the work being done by government to roll-out and implement this National Development Plan.
Owing to the apartheid planning system, the water and sanitation and road infrastructure of Kokstad appeared in the past few years to be failing to cater for the majority of black and coloured communities. We remember that this area at some point became infamous for a persistent stench that emanated from a congested sewer system.
And it was this ANC led government that took the initiative to correct the bad smell caused by apartheid masters. As part of redressing all the imbalances of the past, the development of a number of new houses has also been among the programmes initiated under democracy.
As a result, a fundamental resolve has been undertaken to upgrade infrastructure so that Franklin and Shayamoya communities would also get serviced to a decent extent.
The provincial government has worked in partnership with the Harry Gwala District Municipality, under which falls Greater Kokstad Municipality and others, and we have spent more than R13,4 million to upgrade the Franklin Bulk Water and Sanitation infrastructure. More than 600 homes are to benefit from this development alone.
Mphathi wohlelo, sihlale sabona singuhulumeni wabantu ukuthi lohulumeni wobandlululo muningi umonakalo owawuwudalile ngokuthi ubhekelele kuphela abohlanga olumhlophe. Uma ubheka ingqalasizinda yamanzi, kusuka lapha esadonswa emadanyini, ubheke ama reservoir, ubheke imishini nezinjini zokuhlanza amanzi ubungako bazo kuyacaca ukuthi konke kwakungalungele ukubhekelela zonke izakhamizi.
Lelidolobha like laduma kabi eminyakeni embalwa edlule, lapho sekunephunga elibi ebelibangwa wukuminyana komgudu wokuhambisa indle. Kwaba yilohulumeni futhi owasukuma waqala izinhlelo zokuthi kuthuthukiswe ingqalasizinda.
Ukuzama ukuphulukisa isimo sempilo, kuphilwe ngokulingana, okunye futhi okwenziwe yilohulumeni, kube wukwakhiwa kwezindlu eziningi ukuze wonke umuntu abe nophahla phezu kwekhanda. Nakho-ke ukwanda kwezindlu ezintsha, kube sekuletha ingcindezi-ke kwingqalasizinda eyayivale yakhelwe abantu abathize kuphela.
Uhulumeni wesifundazwe sa-KwaZulu-Natali ube ususukuma ubambisana nomasipala wesifunda iHarry Gwala, nokuyiyona phela engumama womndeni womasipala abancane abangaphansi kwawo, okubalwa kubona i-Greater Kokstad. Sibe sesiqhamuka nohlelo lolu lokuba kukhuliswe ingqalasizinda yonke yokuletha amanzi endaweni yase Franklin nakwezinye. Lomsenzi-ke udle imali engaphezudlwana kuka R13,4 wezigidi zamarandi, kanti izophakela amakhaya angaphezu kuka 600.
Kukhona futhi nohlelo oludle ngaphezu kuka R7,6 wezigidi zamarandi lokuba kulungiswe ingqalasizinda yemigwaqo ubude bayo isiyonke obungaphezu kwamakhilomitha amabili, nokuyimigwaqo uSteve Biko, uThabo Mbeki kanye no Road.
Lomsebenzi ubandakanya ukulungiswa kwemigudu yokulahla amanzi uma kunezimvula ezinkulu, umgwaqo ungagcwali amanzi; ubandakanya futhi ukwakhiwa kwezindawo zokuhamba abahamba ngezinyawo, nokuyinto ezogwema izingozi; uphinde ubandakanye ukufakwa kwetiyela kulomgwaqo ukuze nezinto zokuthutha zisebenze kalula.
Sithi-ke halala kunina nonke mphakathi wase Shayamoya ngoba izithelo zomsebenzi wokuba kungaphinde kube nesimo sokuthi kube nomuntu ophila ngendlela yokucindezeleka namuhla ziyabonakala endaweni yenu.
Nokho ngalo izwi elifanayo, siyavuma futhi ukuthi kusekuningi okusamele sikwenze ukuze siphothule umsebenzi wokuletha intuthuko kubona bonke abantu. Kepha uma sibheka ukuthi kwathatha iminyaka engaphezu kwamakhulu amathathu ukucindela abantu kuleli, kubalulekile esesikwenzile futhi kusinika ithemba ngoba sekusele kancane ukuba wonke amakhaya ezweni lakithi abe nazo zonke izidingo. Ngempela izwe lakithi manje lingcono kakhulu kusukela ngonyaka ka 1994 kwathatha i-ANC.
Programme Director, we want to congratulate the community of Franklin for having voted for a government whose life-time commitment is to ensure that never again shall it be that someone will oppress another through an inadequate water supply and a poor sanitation system. On the same token, we must admit that a lot of work on our part as government awaits us as we travel this road towards providing 100% service delivery.
However, what gives us energy and confidence that we will soon achieve 100% service delivery is the fact that we can all see that Franklin, Shayamoya and the whole of South Africa, we are better today since the birth of democracy when the ANC took over from apartheid in 1994.
I must say that we are aware of that there are still issues that are of concern to many of the residents within the municipality, namely: Alleged corruption, unfinished projects such as the youth centre, lack of electricity in some areas. Housing shortages and toilet facilities. And a lack of good communication between the communities and councillors.
I want to indicate that some of these concerns have just recently come to our attention, and we are already taking steps to improve these. As the province, we want to emphasise to councillors that even if solutions to issues have not yet been found, what is important is to keep a constant flow of communication with the people, alerting them to any challenges that may exist.
Siyazi ukuthi zikhona izinto ezizinkinga ezibhekene nezakhamizi ezindaweni ezinye eziningi. Ezinye zalezi zibandakanya ukuntuleka kukagesi, izindlu, izakhiwo ezingakaphothulwa, yinkohlakalo ebikwayo, nokunye. Sithanda ukuba sisho ukuthi singuhulumeni wesifundazwe sisanda kuyithola imibiko ngalokhu, kanti esesikwenzile wukuthi siqale silandele sibheke ukuthi singangenelela ngaluphi uhlobo.
Ngithanda ukuthi ngiphinde futhi ngigcizelele kumakhansela ukuthi into ebalulekile wukuba sihlale njalo sixhumana nezakhamizi, ngisho izisombululo zingakafiki, kepha ukuvela kubantu ubatshele ukuthi kusami kuphi nakuphi, kuyokwenza ukuba abantu bakwethembe bamethembe futhi nohulumeni.
Sengiphetha ngithanda ukuzwakalisa ukubonga kakhulu ebuholini bonke ngaphansi kwesifunda senu i-Harry Gwala; sibonga izimeya, amakhosi, amakhansela, osomabhizinisi, izakhiwo zonke zomphakathi. Ukubambisana okunemfudumalo nathi ezingeni lesifundazwe kunomthelela omkhulu ekutheni imisebenzi yokulethela abantu bakithi impilo engcono ibe yimpumelelo.
Siyabonga.
