Honourable Chairperson of the NCOP Mr J Mahlangu
Honourable Minister of Rural Development and Land Affairs Mr G Nkwinti
Honourable Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP Ms T Memela
Honourable MECs from provinces
Honourable members
Ladies and gentlemen
Indeed is an honour to rise in this house in support of the 2010/11 budget vote speech of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.
We call for this endorsement with confidence that the budget policy presentation by Honourable Minister Nkwinti will indeed significantly contribute to our vision to build viable, equitable and sustainable rural communities with food security for all.
In achieving this vision, we are guided by the Honourable President's State of the Nation Address of 2009/10 when he said “Abantu basemakhaya nabo banelungelo lokuba nogesi, namanzi, izindlu zangasese ezigijima amanzi, imigwaqo, izindawo zokuqeda isizungu nezemidlalo, kanye nezindawo zokuthenga eziphucukile njengasemadolobheni. Nabo banelungelo lokusizwa kwezolimo ukuze bazitshalele imifino nokunye, bafuyenemfuyo, bakwazi ukuziphilisa.
Sizimisele ukuwuqala lomkhankaso wokwakha izingqalasizinda ezindaweni zasemakhaya. Uma sibambisene nezakhamizi, namakhosi, amakhansela, nezinduna siyokwazi ukuwusheshisa lomsebenzi. Uma sisebenza ngokubambisana sizokwenza okuningi.”
The Gauteng province supports the minister's comprehensive rural development programme approach which has set a new cause for post colonial reconstruction and development which will be achieve through co-ordinated and broad based agrarian transformation which will focus on:
- Building communities through social mobilization and institution building
- Strategic investment in old and new social, economic, ICT infrastructure and public amenities and facilities coordinated through the rural infrastructure programme
- A new land reform programme implemented in the context of the reviewed land tenure system;
- Rendering of professional and technical services as well as effective and sustainable resource management through the component of geo-spatial services, technology development and disaster management
- Effective provision of cadastral and deeds registry as well as surveys and mapping services.
It is in this context Honourable Speaker, that GDARD recommit itself on the development of the rural areas within the province, even though many people believes that rural development in Gauteng is a rumour.
I first want to confirm that Gauteng is the smallest province in our country, covering 1 700 000 hectares or 1.4 percent of the total area. Of this, 438 623ha are potentially arable. A total four percent of the province population reside in the rural areas including the agricultural arable land.
We, in the province have finalised the Gauteng's Comprehensive Rural Development Strategy in line with eh CRDP approach. We have also revised the Gauteng's Integrated Food Security and we are implementing these strategies accordingly. Honourable Speaker, we have committed ourselves to work towards realising the national outcome 7 of the 12 outcomes pursued by national government over the MTSF Period.
The success of these outcomes will also be measured through the delivery of the following outputs:
- sustainable land reform;
- food security for all;
- rural development and sustainable livelihoods; and,
- job creation linked to skills training.
Under sustainable land reform, the Gauteng Provincial Government will work together with the national DLRD to ensure democratic and equitable land allocation to our people, and to review the legislation and to deracialise rural economy for shared and inclusive growth. We have already identified four pilot projects for comprehensive rural development in Gauteng such Devon in Lesedi Municipality, Hekpoort in the West Rand, Sekhulumi in Metsweding etc.
Under rural development, we will promote equitable development to overcome urban rural divide to ensure that rural communities have access to decent services, infrastructure and economic opportunities.
Under food security for all, we will intensify our food gardens, cooperatives, small holder farming and commercial farming.
Under job creation and skills training, we will ensure that the prioritised households in the 50 poorest wards will benefit from decent jobs.
We support the national policy and legislative processes on agrarian transformation, rural development and land reform including land tenure security bill amongst other things in order to protect the rights of farms workers. We will soon be consulting with our people in Gauteng.
In conclusion, please allow me to remind the house that we are only 16 days before the kickoff of FIFA's World Cup. We hope that we all have tickets that we will visit fan parks and public viewing to witness our national team, Bafana Bafana conquer the world .
We are endorsing this budget vote on the most important day, the African Day. Since its inception in 1958, Africa Day is being celebrated to unify the African people across the continent and the world as a whole.
We wish Bafana Bafana best of luck during this exciting journey.
I thank you.
