President Jacob Zuma will on Friday, 10 June 2016, visit Kwaggafontein, in the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in Mpumalanga as part of the Siyahlola Presidential Monitoring Programme.
The Siyahlola Presidential Monitoring programme enables the President to monitor the performance of all three spheres of government directly.
Ahead of the 2016 State of the Nation Address in February, President Zuma undertook a walkabout in Marabastad, in the Pretoria CBD where he was alerted by commuters about service delivery issues specifically affecting Kwaggafontein and its surrounding villages. In his subsequent State of the Nation Address on 11 February 2016, President Zuma committed to visiting the area.
The visit forms part of the Back to Basics 10-Point local government revitalisation plan which was launched in 2014 which also promotes community engagement, which is critical to enable communities to provide feedback on their experience of local government.
During the visit, President Zuma will assess three projects which the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality is rolling out to its residents to improve their livelihoods.
These projects are the following:
New Reservoir and Pipeline at KwaMhlanga, which entails the addition of infrastructure such as bulk pipe line and concrete chambers with flow meters and control valves.
Rehabilitation of two boreholes at KwaMhlanga Hospital which entails installation of two pumps with pipeline, supply and installation of panels and reconnection to existing tanks at the hospital.
Handover of completed houses to families of the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality who had been living in shacks.
Later in the afternoon President Zuma, supported by national, provincial and local government leaders, will report back to the community on his monitoring visit.
Through the Siyahlola Monitoring Programme in Kwaggafontein, Government recognises that access to potable water and sanitation is vital for the health and dignity of the people.
Government will continue its efforts to provide access to piped water to all households in the area and interventions will include the drilling of 54 new boreholes for water, building a new reservoir and pipelines, and upgrading existing infrastructure; increasing access to decent sanitation through our waterborne toilet project; a new water waste treatment plant being built while the existing plant is being upgraded and installation of 98 high mast lights and 256 street lights in major intersections.
President Zuma will be accompanied by the Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Jeff Radebe; Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr David van Rooyen; Minister of Energy, Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson; Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Malusi Gigaba; Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Mr Gugile Nkwinti; Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters; Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa; Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr Senzeni Zokwana; Acting Minister of Health, Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi; Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Ms Zoe Kota-Fredericks; Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr Bulelani Magwanishe; Deputy Minister of Sports and Recreation, Mr Gert Oosthuizen and Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pamela Tshwete.
Members of the media covering the Siyahlola Presidential Monitoring Programme should please send their names ID/Passport numbers to Ishmael Selemale on 061 790 5114 or ishmael@gcis.gov.za or Khutjo Sebata on 079 898 4621 or Khutjo@presidency.gov.za preferably by 8 June 2016.
Enquiries:
Dr Bongani Ngqulunga
Cell: 082 308 9373
E-mail: bongani@presidency.gov.za
