More than R1, 5 billion investment in Umsinga over the past five years
Poverty, unemployment and inequality are challenges that prevent the people of Umsinga from fully enjoying freedom and democracy. That’s according to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu who was speaking today during the official launch of Inkululeko Development Projects II in Cwaka Village in UMsinga.
“Today, we are here to demonstrate that the people of UMsinga deserve to enjoy the fruits of freedom just like their fellow compatriots living in big cities. As a result of apartheid policy of segregated development, areas such as UMsinga were severely neglected with millions of people remaining isolated and on the margins of development.
They were made invisible in terms of provision of basic amenities such water and sanitation, electricity, recreational facilities and social infrastructure such as decent hospitals, schools, libraries and academic institutions.”
“It is important to note that since 2009, the provincial government has invested more than R500 million in Umsinga. With the addition of Inkululeko Development Projects, government infrastructure investments to Umsinga has increased to over a billion rands.”
“When people voted in 1994, they voted for dignity grounded on access to water, electricity, clinics and hospitals, decent schools, housing, roads and most importantly they voted for a government which understands their needs. It is for this reason that we are here to launch Inkululeko Development Projects with a budget of over R1 billion.”
The provincial government is investing billions of rand on socio-economic infrastructure in order to add meaning to freedom. We have increased infrastructure spending from R9.7 billion in 2008/09 to R10.9 billion in 2009/10 and to R12.7 billion in 2011/12 and we have seen a drastic increase over the past three years.
The largest portion of this expenditure went to the Department of Transport for road construction and maintenance as well as Department of Human Settlement for the provision of decent housing and for the overall development of human settlements. Education and Health departments received the bulk of money for the building of schools, clinics and hospitals.
“We have identified Umsinga as the next municipality to benefit from Inkululeko Development Projects having launched in Ndumo, in Jozini in 2013.
Inkululeko involves the single investment in an area by all departments to address social infrastructure as well enablers for economic activities. In the case of Umsinga, we will start with renovation of schools, the construction of a school of excellence, provision of libraries, renovation of clinics, hospitals and rehabilitation and construction of road infrastructure.
We are also providing decent houses and we have also set aside budget for the construction of abattoir as we want to encourage and link goat farming to agribusiness value chain.”
Enquires:
Ndabezinhle Sibiya
Cell: 082 375 4742
Regi Khumalo
Cell: 079 751 6108
E-mail: Thami.Ngwenya@kznpremier.gov.za
