Date: 20/11/2005
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Balindlela: Reception of Lower Saxony delegation
Welcoming remarks ZNB Balindlela, Premier of the Eastern Cape, at the reception of the Lower Saxony delegation, East London
Programme Director
Minister of Education in Lower Saxony and your delegation
Ladies and Gentlemen.
On behalf of the people of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa, I wish once more to welcome our distinguished guests from Lower Saxony. A special welcome to Education Minister, Mr Bernd Busemann.
It is now 10 years since we partnered in the effort of development. The 10th anniversary of this partnership presents two significant challenges:
Firstly, there is a need to review the path travelled in order to evaluate our progress
Secondly, our collaboration must be thrust into higher level, thus maximising the mutual benefits of the partnership
Meeting these challenges will ensure a closer and a more meaningful relationship between our people.
The essence of our relationship is building human capital with the net effect of giving the less capacitated the opportunity ultimately to be economically active. Equally central to this relationship is an increase of the scope of our institutions of learning to participate in the informational economy. To this end our Further Education and Training (FET) colleges will benefit from an investment in electronic learning made possible by the Public-Private Partnership between the Eastern Cape Institute for Education Management and Professional Development, Lower Saxony State Institute for Teacher Education and School Development, and Fujitsu Siemens.
We welcome this relationship with the private sector as it reflects South Africa’s policy perspective of a strong collaboration with this sector for broader societal development.
The benefiting FET Colleges have a strategic responsibility of promoting vocational training. In our view as government the architecture of our education lacks technical skills development. This problem is compounded by the centrality of technical skills to the economic growth targets we’ve set for the country. Provincially the key drivers of that growth are imprinted in the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP). Therefore, your contribution in strengthening the FET colleges is a contribution to our economic growth perspective. A more networked and technologically advanced FET sector will translate into a more sophisticated technical education that will enable us, as a province, to stake a claim in the new growth trajectory. The Department of Education will ensure that FET colleges optimally utilise the technology that will be introduced to them. Furthermore, we shall draw lessons from the use of this technology for a broader e-governance strategy of the Eastern Cape Provincial Administration. To this end the Provincial Government Information Technology Officers (PGITO) Council and the Eastern Cape Socio-economic Consultative Council (ECSECC) need to monitor this process and integrate lessons into our perspective on e-governance.
We also need to move urgently on the collaboration in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Since the signing of the agreement we have established an Aids Council with an active secretariat. We need to share with you the key programme components of the AIDS Council. In general, though it should be said that the biggest challenges we continue to face include the spiralling effect of poverty on the pandemic. Management of the pandemic requires proper food, healthy living and a disciplined compliance with the drug regimen. Compounding the health problem is a social problem of rising orphan and grandparent or child/sibling-headed households. All these facets point to a need for a multi-faceted approach to the fight against the pandemic. I think we need to have a joint team between our AIDS Council, Department of Health and yourselves that will deliberate on the best ways of enhancing our programme.
This partnership, equally, has to move fast to implement its tourism and sustainable development objectives. Our province has tourism as a primary driver to its economy. The diversity of our tourism products places us ahead of the pack globally. However, we need to be astute enough to exploit the value chain activities of this industry. Our local product owners are active participants in the tourism networks we have set up. Their biggest challenge is to expose these products to a wider global market. Therefore, our partnership needs to target this to add value in their businesses. The Eastern Cape Tourism Board is a custodian of tourism development. Eco-conscience and eco-education are critical components of the Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism (DEAET) and they will be part of a process of enhancing these in our province. Close to my heart is ensuring that inter-generational, intra-generational as well as inter-species rights are well respected in this province. That can mostly be achieved through effective environmental education.
Finally, the above areas are part of a broader agreement, thus they should be seen in the context of the entire agreement. I have isolated them merely as priorities of the current and the next financial years.
Once more you are all warmly welcome to enjoy the beauty of our province and the humanity of our people (Ubuntu).
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
20 November 2005
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Balindlela: Reception of Lower Saxony delegation
Welcoming remarks ZNB Balindlela, Premier of the Eastern Cape, at the reception of the Lower Saxony delegation, East London
Programme Director
Minister of Education in Lower Saxony and your delegation
Ladies and Gentlemen.
On behalf of the people of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa, I wish once more to welcome our distinguished guests from Lower Saxony. A special welcome to Education Minister, Mr Bernd Busemann.
It is now 10 years since we partnered in the effort of development. The 10th anniversary of this partnership presents two significant challenges:
Firstly, there is a need to review the path travelled in order to evaluate our progress
Secondly, our collaboration must be thrust into higher level, thus maximising the mutual benefits of the partnership
Meeting these challenges will ensure a closer and a more meaningful relationship between our people.
The essence of our relationship is building human capital with the net effect of giving the less capacitated the opportunity ultimately to be economically active. Equally central to this relationship is an increase of the scope of our institutions of learning to participate in the informational economy. To this end our Further Education and Training (FET) colleges will benefit from an investment in electronic learning made possible by the Public-Private Partnership between the Eastern Cape Institute for Education Management and Professional Development, Lower Saxony State Institute for Teacher Education and School Development, and Fujitsu Siemens.
We welcome this relationship with the private sector as it reflects South Africa’s policy perspective of a strong collaboration with this sector for broader societal development.
The benefiting FET Colleges have a strategic responsibility of promoting vocational training. In our view as government the architecture of our education lacks technical skills development. This problem is compounded by the centrality of technical skills to the economic growth targets we’ve set for the country. Provincially the key drivers of that growth are imprinted in the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP). Therefore, your contribution in strengthening the FET colleges is a contribution to our economic growth perspective. A more networked and technologically advanced FET sector will translate into a more sophisticated technical education that will enable us, as a province, to stake a claim in the new growth trajectory. The Department of Education will ensure that FET colleges optimally utilise the technology that will be introduced to them. Furthermore, we shall draw lessons from the use of this technology for a broader e-governance strategy of the Eastern Cape Provincial Administration. To this end the Provincial Government Information Technology Officers (PGITO) Council and the Eastern Cape Socio-economic Consultative Council (ECSECC) need to monitor this process and integrate lessons into our perspective on e-governance.
We also need to move urgently on the collaboration in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Since the signing of the agreement we have established an Aids Council with an active secretariat. We need to share with you the key programme components of the AIDS Council. In general, though it should be said that the biggest challenges we continue to face include the spiralling effect of poverty on the pandemic. Management of the pandemic requires proper food, healthy living and a disciplined compliance with the drug regimen. Compounding the health problem is a social problem of rising orphan and grandparent or child/sibling-headed households. All these facets point to a need for a multi-faceted approach to the fight against the pandemic. I think we need to have a joint team between our AIDS Council, Department of Health and yourselves that will deliberate on the best ways of enhancing our programme.
This partnership, equally, has to move fast to implement its tourism and sustainable development objectives. Our province has tourism as a primary driver to its economy. The diversity of our tourism products places us ahead of the pack globally. However, we need to be astute enough to exploit the value chain activities of this industry. Our local product owners are active participants in the tourism networks we have set up. Their biggest challenge is to expose these products to a wider global market. Therefore, our partnership needs to target this to add value in their businesses. The Eastern Cape Tourism Board is a custodian of tourism development. Eco-conscience and eco-education are critical components of the Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism (DEAET) and they will be part of a process of enhancing these in our province. Close to my heart is ensuring that inter-generational, intra-generational as well as inter-species rights are well respected in this province. That can mostly be achieved through effective environmental education.
Finally, the above areas are part of a broader agreement, thus they should be seen in the context of the entire agreement. I have isolated them merely as priorities of the current and the next financial years.
Once more you are all warmly welcome to enjoy the beauty of our province and the humanity of our people (Ubuntu).
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
20 November 2005
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
