Programme director
The Executive Mayor of Gert Sibande Councillors Gamede
All Councillors present here today
Community leadership
Acting Head of Department Dr Zungu
Management of the department and sister departments
Community of Mkhondo
Can I before I start pass the apology of MEC for Health and Social Development, MEC Dikeledi Mahlangu who had to attend to other pressing commitments and has since sent me to represent her here?
In 1955 a historic gathering took place in Kliptown. This gathering took historic resolutions that would later define the democratic government core policies. One of these policies is a very important proclamation that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.
This proclamation affirms the equality of all South Africans; black and white, urban and rural, male and female; youth, women and disabled. The proclamation affirms equal access to all resources and services, regardless of social status; greed, gender and race.
The question that we need to ask in this regard, is to what extend has the rural folk benefited from the fruits of democracy and freedom. Have we done enough to bring essential services to our rural country men and women in a manner that restores their human dignity?
Is living in rural areas equal to social and economic neglect, forced removal, denial of basic human rights; such as access to clean and safe drinking water; access to education, health services, recreational facilities and many other social amenities?
The ANC led government under the Leadership of President Zuma, has identified rural development as one of its five key priorities in the next five years. To this end, it has also created a department of rural development, so that in a very coordinated manner, we change the landscape of our rural areas. Focus on rural development makes sense because many issues that confront urban areas are as a result of people migrating from rural areas to urban areas in search of better life. So what we are saying is that better life should be possible here.
Today we are beginning a very important journey in Mpumalanga, where government brings to the people all services so that you can truly proclaim to be a South African too. I should also quickly mention that these services we bring here today are not a favour or privilege; it is your constitutional right to have access to this services.
You have once more as you have always did, brought back the ANC led government, because we know that it is the only organization that truly cares about your plight. The NC has deployed us to represent your aspirations and hopes. To see to it that you are not left behind in all human development aspects.
The ANC led Government knows very well about the difficulties that, despite us being 15 years into democracy, you continue to face as people living in rural areas. That is why it has identified rural development as a key focus area.
We are saying to you, continue to tilt the land and plough so that you can live a good life here with your families. Our provincial government has the Asibuyele Mazimini program, which is aimed at encouraging people to use land productively to benefit their country and families. You should form cooperatives and government will provide with tractors and seeds to plough.
Agriculture and rural development department has extension officers in a every municipality, and they should provide you with support. Please ensure that all your children are registered with social development or SASSA so that they can access child support grant. You should also not wait until your children are old to get IDs for them. Ensure that they have birth certificates now so that it would be easy later to access ID.
Ensure that all your children and pregnant mothers attend clinics regularly to prevent complications and many other diseases. Please know that HIV is real and knows no rural or urban area. Nina bobaba sebenzisani amacondom mangabe you are not faithful to your partner. Nina bantwana yekani ukuzenza abobaba nabo mama, wait until you are old enough before you have sex. Ayibaleki, you will enjoy it 24/7 when you are old enough.
Lastly I want to request all departments present here today, to sustain these services we have brought to our people here today. We have no time to pay leap service to our people. Equally, we urge all our people to have patience. Your government will never forget you. Working together, we can indeed do more to improve the living conditions of our people, so that as the freedom charter proclaimed can indeed find real meaning to all.
Issued by: Department of Health and Social Development, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
5 July 2009
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government (http://www.mpumalanga.gov.za)
