Honourable Deputy Chairperson
Honourable Deputy President of the republic
Honourable Premier Mathale and other Premiers
Honourable Speaker Phala and other speakers
Honourable district and local mayors
Honourable councillors representing Southern African Local Government Association (SALGA)
Traditional and community leaders
Fellow South Africans
Let me thank the Deputy President for his address to the house under the theme working together to speed up the delivery of services to our people. We are privileged to be with you, Honourable Deputy President, during the week of our visit to the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality.
Introduction
The President of the Republic has said that this is the year of action.
This year Parliament is guided by the theme celebrate the legacy of Mandela �" contribute to nation building. Building a nation requires that we dirty our hands to ensure that our people have jobs, water, electricity, receive quality education and have access to healthcare services. That is why we came here this week.
Some of the key issues raised by the people
Education
* School infrastructure, shortage of educators especially for maths, science and technical subjects and educators employed on temporal basis
* The provincial department has extended the contracts of all temporary educators at Kweledi Secondary School whose contracts was ending in a few days and has committed to doing so with other schools.
Local governance
* Electricity, water, sanitation and road infrastructure
* Water is available to mines but not to communities
* Allegations of corruption when it comes to procurement
* The minister has promised an amendment to the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act to deal with some of the shortcomings in the governance of local government.
Mining
* This community is located in an area full of mineral wealth, but its people remain poor.
* Mines do not employ locals because they do not have the necessary skills (the youth need learnerships).
* The community is divided and mines find it difficult to work with them
* blasting at mines has damaged houses and schools.
* The minister has committed herself to facilitating the resolution of many of the challenges related to mining.
Youth
* Teenage pregnancy (the youth need to understand that teenage pregnancy delays them in preparing for their future, it is also risky)
* Facilities for disabled people.
Rural development and land reform
* People want infrastructure for economic activities, training, water, fencing for grazing and cropping fields, and work opportunities.
* The minister supports the idea of having Jane Furse as a pilot site for comprehensive rural development in this district.
What is the programme capable of doing?
Benefits
* A small example of the benefits of this programme is the small but significant improvements we see in this institution (it was an almost rundown institution with no water, but now it has some water, the soccer-field is levelled, it has been painted, there is paving etc).
* If these things can happen here, they can happen to the rest of the community.
* Our report will illustrate the benefits to the communities.
* Already, the community of Mahlatsi which was visited by the NCOP last year and earlier this month has written to say the sport ground has been upgraded, water problem has been resolved by the district, housing units and toilets are to be built, and MEC has announced the construction of road, but they now want electricity and communication network).
Public participation
* We have given the people an ear (a local newspaper wrote shortly before we came asking. Will someone please listen?
* We have listened and by so doing fulfilling our constitutional mandate of providing a platform for public consideration of issues (programme for this week was the product of the people).
* People do not want answers to everything at once, but they want to be heard and to be assured that their issues are receiving attention.
Going forward
* Speaker, I am happy at your observation on Tuesday that issues from the last visit of taking parliament to the people in this province were adequately followed up.
* This time around, once we have processed the report, I intend coming back in May this year to establish a working team consisting of representatives of NCOP, provincial legislature and municipality to develop a follow-up plan.
* The plan will identify which issues could be done this year, next year and by the end of the term.
* I will share that plan with the leader of government business and Premier because it is clear that the area needs great support from national government.
* It is important that we work together to practically resolve the challenges facing the Greater Sekhukhune Municipality (co-operative government is key).
* Once we have set out clear timeframes for deliverables, we will follow up in a detailed and precise manner.
I wish to thank everybody who has made this programme a success.
Thank you
Issued by: Parliament of South Africa
26 March 2010
Source: Parliament of South Africa (http://www.parliament.gov.za/)
