development, job creation and poverty alleviation in Taung
29 January 2007
The North West Department of Public Works is spending R3,4 million on the
construction of community halls at Modimong and Cokonyane Villages in Taung.
Both projects commenced in September last year and have thus far provided
training opportunities for 31 bricklayers and created a hundred job
opportunities for previously unemployed villagers.
The Community Hall Construction Projects implemented as an exit strategy for
learner contractor graduates previously on the Modimola EPWP Project include
the construction of traditional meeting areas (Kgotlas) near the halls and
construction of traditional cooking areas (Digotlo) and septic tanks on the
hall premises.
Phase one of the Land Care Programme included bush clearing for boundary
fencing, drilling, testing of borehole and establishing windmills in Modimong
village. A hundred families in the village also benefited through the Household
Food Security Programme.
The Second Phase for the 7 kilometre road upgrading and surfacing project
between Cokonyane and Modimong Villages is to commence in May.
Congratulating learner contractor graduates on his project site visit
recently, MEC for Public Works, Mr Howard Yawa, Member of the Provincial
Legislature (MPL), said, "It is encouraging that in less than a year, learner
contractors from Modimola EPWP Project have reached Construction Industry
Development Board Level three grading. The intervention in Modimong also
includes skill development for local aspirant contractors through a learnership
programme."
Fifteen contracts will in due course be awarded to local learner-contractors
for the construction of thirty kilometres of village roads in Modimong and
Cokonyane villages including the access road to Heulingspan.
The projects are part of the R93,6 million Modimong Expanded Public Works
Programme Project launched in February 2006 as part of government's Accelerated
and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) and massification of
EPWP.
The integrated project is a partnership of the Department of Public Works,
the Department of Transport, Roads and Community Safety, the Department of
Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Bophirima District Council and the
Greater Taung Local Municipality.
For further information, please contact:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Departmental spokesperson
Tel: (018) 387 2447
Cell: 083 629 1987
Issued by: Department of Public Works, North West Provincial
Government
29 January 2007
