Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, MxolisiXayiya’s Remarks at the NCOP – Taking Parliament to the People Debate, 27 March 2014

National Council of Provinces Chairperson,

Chairpersons for Select Committees,

Members of Parliament,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Honorable Chairperson, the great African novelist WoleSonyika reminds us that“there is nothing more secure than a democratic, accountable and participatory form of government.” It is in light of these wise words that we welcome every opportunity to interact with the people and account on the work we have done.

Taking Parliament to the People Programmemust be seen against the backdrop of a government of the people, engaged in a struggle to ensure that “people” on the one hand and “power” on the other hand, are two sides of the same coin - united in purpose and inseparable in action.

Honorable Chairperson, it is a fact that the ANC Government has done, and still doing, everything in its power since 1994, to ensure that the people are never divorced from the craft of exercising of political power and that we have a population which sees engagement with public representatives and institutions as not only a legitimate claim buta right and obligation vested in all citizens. Indeed, South Africa is a shining example of democracy at work, where representation and participation happily coexist.

Honorable members, the ANC government continues to maintain and live up to the sacred covenant we entered into with the people of South Africa. Our commitment tocreate jobs and fight poverty; build a growing and dynamic economy;provide education for all children; give greater access to higher education and training; provide affordable healthcare to all and increase the life expectancy of all South Africans;make housing accessible; extend social welfare benefits to the aged, children and to people living with disabilities; to provide a safe public transport systems and provide recreational is unwavering. This pledgefinds expression in the Gauteng Provincial Government’s Programme of Action since 2009.

Quality Basic Education

Indeed the Gauteng Provincial Government has been hard at work to provide quality basic education and address challenges within the education system.The Gauteng Department of Education provides bursaries for learners from no-fee schools through the Gauteng City Region Academy. Over the past five years, this initiative has disbursed bursaries to over 6000 students for higher education and training. The value of these bursaries started at R35 000 in 2009 and was increased to R50 000 for the 2014 academic year.

A total of 6715 youths are in learnerships in all the departments of the Gauteng Provincial Government. In addition, there are 1071 graduates (youth) benefitting from experiential learning and workplace experience.As a response to the unemployment challenge, we are training a total of 1394 youths as artisans in plumbing, welding, carpentry and other similar sectors.

To provide additional learning facilities and alleviate overcrowding in the public schooling system, the following schools were constructed in Tshwane:Lotus Gardens Primary School, Olivenhoutbosch Primary School, Soshanguve WW Primary School, SteveBikoville Primary School. We are also working tirelessly to ensure the completion of the construction of Mamelodi East Primary School, Iketleng Primary School, Nelmapius Primary School.

We are pleased to announce that the School Safety Programme aimed at addressing bullying and violence in schools is being implemented in all schools located in Gauteng. There are 1500 school patrollers that have been deployed in 366 schools in Tshwane.The Services of Social Workers are also available to all schools in Gauteng and this means that learners are able to receive psycho-social support as needed.

A long and healthy life for all South Africans

Honourable members, allow me to share some of the interventions we have made since 2009 to ensure that every citizen enjoys a long and healthy life. The Gauteng Department of Health is implementing the Health Turnaround System, which is focused on improving the health infrastructure and revitalising the Health Systems in Gauteng. This includes, amongst others, initiatives such as:

  • Implementing Ward-based Primary Health Care outreach teams which are meant to reach communities that are living far from hospitals and clinics.
  • The establishment of district clinical specialist teams in all five districts improve access to health services by the elderly, people with disabilities and communities living in areas that lack health facilities.
  • The introduction of 120 new ambulances to cater for maternity and obstetrics for use by pregnant mothers which is aimed at improving the response times of Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
  • Additional funds have been allocated to the Department of Health in 2014/15 for the procurement of new ambulances to further improve the capacity of EMS.
  • The extension of hours of service at some clinics in Tshwane and providing 24 hour access to some community health care centres on an incremental basis will improve access to primary health care facilities
  • There are also plans towards reducing the waiting list for assistive devices in hospitals to improve access to assistive devices for the elderly and people with disabilities

We have also strengthened our efforts in ensuring that the health sector is responsive to the needs of women, youth and people with disabilities by amongst others:

  • Raising awareness and providing access to breast cancer screening
  • Raising awareness and providing access to prostate cancer screening
  • providing access to female condoms
  • Provision of appropriate youth-friendly services in clinics to enable young people to make informed decisions regarding their reproductive health is aimed at addressing the reproductive health needs of our young people
  • Introducing sensitivity training of staff at clinics and hospitals in relation to fair and equitable treatment of people with disabilities.

Alleviating social crime and substance abuse

The Gauteng Provincial Government has budgeted for an amount of R1, 9 billion in 2014/15 to fund Non-Profit Organisations to provide services to older people, people with disabilities, orphaned and vulnerable children and substance abuse treatment facilities. There are 512 NPOs that are located in Tshwane that will benefit from the funding. These NPOs include drop-in-centres, home based care sites, after-care centres and women and youth cooperatives.

Honourable Chairperson, as a means of providing an additional safety net and reducing overreliance on the state, grant beneficiaries in Gauteng are also linked to other skills development opportunities through cooperatives and development centres that are funded by the Department of Social Development.

In addition, the following initiatives have been undertaken as part of advancing the National Drug Master Plan to address substance abuse:

  • The initiative to declare Nyaope and related drugs illegal being adopted.
  • Implementation of Ke-Moja Campaign which is a prevention programme targeting young people not yet involved in substance abuse
  • In-patient and out-patient treatment programmes that are government funded, including, referral of university, technikon and FET students for rehabilitation.

All People in South Africa are safe and feel safe

Honourable Chairperson, Gauteng has embraced the National Integrated Social Crime Prevention Strategy that involves creating partnerships between government, law enforcement agencies, and civil society. This includes ensuring the establishment of Community Policing Forums that are an interface between members of the communities and the police.

One of the excellent examples of an effective integrated criminal justice system is the IkhayaLethemba victim empowerment model which provides holistic serviced that include:

  • In-house Police Services; specialising on detective services
  • The National Prosecution Authority
  • Personnel for dockets management and courts preparations
  • Forensic capacity, Medical Doctors as well as other auxiliary services for survivors of abuse and sexual offences.

We have also re-established the Family Child Protection and Sexual Offence Units, and the Sexual Offences Courts to address the scourge of violence against women and children in a targeted manner.

Indeed the police in Gauteng are working hard to close down drug dens and the use of derelict buildings by drug dealers and users, including in Garankuwa, Soshanguve, Winterveldt and Cullinan.

Cases of corruption and collusion between the police and criminals can also be reported directly to the Office of the Premier through the Premier’s Hotline which was established to enable members of the pubic to report corruption and lack of service delivery.

Decent employment through inclusive economic growth

We have put in place an intergovernmental approach to address the challenges related to economic development and job creation. The Gauteng Youth Employment Strategy is meant to direct our efforts towards increasing youth employment opportunities. The Tshepo 10 000 Initiative, which is a job creation initiative of the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality programme, has recruited 10000 youth with the aim of training the youth and equipping them with the necessary skills in road cleaning, street light fixing and other artisan skills.

The Gauteng Enterprise Propeller provides seed funding for the establishment of enterprises and non-financial support to SMMEs and cooperatives.

The Winterveldt Hub, which we are implementing in partnership with theCity of Tshwane has been completed and is fully operational. The hub encompasses tyre fitment, battery centre, panel beating, body parts and repairs as well as auto mechanics and auto electrics.

Different government departments in the province such as Infrastructure Development, Education, Roads and Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development are also implementing the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to maximise job creation and job opportunities.

The Gauteng Executive Council adopted the Gauteng Strategic Procurement Framework to provide development of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the Gauteng Province. The Strategy also seeks to provide financial and non-financial entrepreneurial support initiatives with a particular focus on entrepreneurial training.

Permanent jobs will also be leveraged through re-industrialisation to support the growth of labour-intensive industries such as the Automotive sector in Tshwane, Rosslyn including Nissan Incubation Facility.

The province hosts three of the seven local vehicle assemblers in South Africa – Nissan/Renault SA, BMW SA and Ford Motor Corporation of Southern Africa. We have partnered with these companies on various initiatives on skills training and the incubation of smalll enterprises in the automotive sector.

The Gauteng Tooling Initiative, which started in June 2010 with an intake of 270 has trained many students from Tshwane and other Gauteng regions as tool-making artisans.

Building Sustainable Rural Communities

In line with the mandate to build vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities to foster food security for all, the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development has implemented multi-year agro processing projects as follows:

  • Citrus processing machines and equipment have been provided to the Winterveldt Project to mitigate agricultural marketing challenges faced by smallholder farmers along the value chain
  • A total of six (6) smallholder farmers and cooperatives were supported with on-farm infrastructure. These projects are located in City of Tshwane inKameeldrift and Bronkhorstspruit.
  • Thirteen School food gardens have been developed in the City of Tshwane Municipality.
  • Eight (8) Community Food Gardens have been established in the City of Tshwane municipality in Mamelodi, Nelmapius, Mabopane, Enkangala, Zithobeni, Mabopane, Soshanguveand Hammanskraal

Additionally, a total of 3915 Homesteads Food Gardens Projects have been developed in the City of Tshwane.

Twelve cooperatives that are based in Bronkhorstspruit, Winterveldt, Soshanguve and Rooiwal were supported with training on agribusiness entrepreneurial skills as well as tractors and production inputs including in relation to production and processing of maize, poultry and vegetables.

Sustainable Human Settlements and Improved Quality of Household Life

Since 2009, government has taken steps to further transform theapartheid landscape by acquiring a total of 1 082 hectares of prime and well located land for the creation of new human settlements across Gauteng, amounting to an investment of R339 million.One of these in Tshwane is the greenfields development in Olivenhoutbosch Extension 27, which will accommodate Mooiplaas in the City of Tshwane

The Gauteng Provincial Government and the Tshwane Municipality are working together to ensure incremental access to basic services for all including basic electricity, sanitation, and water. Provision is also being made for indigent households that are registered with the Tshwane Municipality to access basic services.

Honourable Chairperson, the increased in-migration into Gauteng has led to “new” and rising housing demand. The provincial approach to addressing housing backlogs and new demand is multi-pronged and includes:

  • Provision of subsidised low cost housing (RDP Houses)
  • Servicing of Stands as part of providing incremental access to housing
  • Provision of rental stock including backyard rental stock
  • Mixed Housing Developments which also incorporate the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) by which government seeks to address the ‘gap market’, which is the segment of people that earn too much to qualify for RDP houses and yet too little to qualify for bank financed housing.

Winterveldt in Tshwane is one of four Urban Renewal Programmes (URP) in Gauteng. This programme seeks to encourage investment in economic and social infrastructure, enterprise development, the enhancement of the development capacity of local government and poverty alleviation through creation of job opportunities.

During the 2013/14 financial year, 643 RDP houses were built as part of the Winterveldt Urban Renewal Programme. Additional RDP houses are under construction in in Winterveldt Extension3 Phase 1 and 2 whilst a total of 122 Stands have been serviced.

Upon completion RDP houses are meant to be allocated to approved beneficiaries, but there have been instances, such as in Winterveldt, where completed RDP houses were invaded by other people who were not the intended beneficiaries.

In these cases, government is left no choice but to approach the courts so that eviction orders can be granted and the illegal occupants are evicted so that the houses can then be handed over to the rightful beneficiaries.

An Empowered, Fair and Inclusive Citizenship

In pursuit of the objective to empower citizens to play a meaningful role in public life, the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreationis driving the following programmes in Gauteng, including the City of Tshwane

  • Provision of sport and recreation equipment and attire to schools and community sport development clubs.
  • Construction of Multi-Purpose Community fields in poor communities and schools to foster sports development.
  • The Community Library grant provides for the provision of construction, upgrading of libraries and public internet access where required.

Honourable Chairperson, our collective strife to achieve a better quality of life for all South Africans and our partnership with the people and various sectors of society will ultimately determine how far we can go in taking South Africa forward.

I thank you.

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