Date: 04/12/2003
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Molefe: Launch of Mafikeng to Johannesburg airline passenger service
SPEECH BY THE NORTH WEST PREMIER, DR POPO SIMON MOLEFE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE OPERATOR FOR THE MAFIKENG AIRPORT, 4 December 2003
Programme Director,
MECs present,
The Mayor of Mafikeng,
Honoured Guests,
Representatives of the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Let me begin by welcoming all of you to the historic launch of the airline passenger service for the Mafikeng Airport. Today is indeed a special day for the City of Mafikeng and the whole of the North West Province. It is a day in which we are ushering in a new and exciting era of prosperity and economic growth for this city.
As you will recall, the withdrawal of the previous Mafikeng/Johannesburg airline passenger service operator came as a serve setback to the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas. It led to the shedding of jobs and depressed economic activity around the Mafikeng Airport. It also left one of our province's major and most precious assets under-utilised.
In response, we as the provincial government, made a solemn pledge to the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas that will not tire nor give-up until we have brought life back the Mafikeng Airport. We understood then that the road we had chosen for ourselves would not be easy nor straightforward. We knew that it would be filled with challenges, some of which would appear insurmountable.
Despite this, we preserved and soldier on, and today we are celebrating our collective victory. As we launch of the Mafikeng/Johannesburg airline passenger service, we are reaping the sweet fruits of our hard work, dedication and patience. In many ways, today's launch is a pledge redeemed, a promised fulfilled, a dream come true and indeed a mission accomplished.
We wish to commend the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas for their patience as we were engaged in efforts aimed at finding a suitable passenger service operator for the airport. Their patience and confidence in the provincial government has paid off.
Today, we are justified in saying that the City of Mafikeng, the City of Goodwill, will never be same again.
The people of Mafikeng and indeed the whole of the North West Province join me in applauding the Provincial Department of Transport for making this launch a reality.
The launch of this airline passenger service marks an important leap in the direction of ensuring that we rebuild the economy of Mafikeng. With the launch of this service, Mafikeng will become even more accessible to tourists and investors alike. As from today, businesses people and tourists, who bring much needed income and jobs to the city, can travel quicker and much easier from Johannesburg to Mafikeng.
This can only augur well for the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas in terms of job creation and opportunities for income generation.
We are also encouraged by the fact that the airline passenger service between Mafikeng and Johannesburg is a product of a partnership between the provincial government and the private sector. This partnership is consistent with our approach, as government, to involve the private sector in efforts to rebuild our economy. We are convinced that the private sector is an important partner in the ongoing effort to expand access to services.
By entering into this strategic partnership, the provincial government and the private sector have demonstrated overwhelming confidence in the economic potential of Mafikeng.
As the provincial government, we have always maintained that Mafikeng is a city with massive economic potential. The city's vibrant and growing tourism market, its status as the provincial capital and its proximity to Botswana, whose economy ranks among the strongest in the developing world, contribute to it vast economic potential.
This display of confidence by the provincial government and the private sector in the economic potential of Mafikeng will go a long way in attracting additional investments from within our country and abroad to Mafikeng. It will also benefit efforts to attract investment as part of the Mafikeng industrial development zone.
It is a fact, Programme Director, that our efforts to attract particularly foreign investment to the Mafikeng Airport will not succeed if there is a dearth of investment by local business people and government.
By securing the buy-in of the private sector to launch this airline service, we have succeeded in positioning Mafikeng as a viable investment destination, a place where investors can invest safely in an environment where satisfactory returns on investment can be made.
The fact that the tender to provide airline passenger services between Johannesburg and Mafikeng was awarded to a consortium with strong empowerment credentials, speaks volumes of our commitment to black economic empowerment. It points to our resolve to continue creating opportunities for all our people, particularly those who were deliberately excluded from the economic mainstream.
We are looking forward to the success of the initiative we are launching today. We believe we are justified in expecting that this launch will be the start of many more exciting developments for the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas.
As government we will do our part towards ensuring that this important initiative succeeds. This we will do because it is our view that the success of this initiative will add to the growing body of evidence that for he people of Mafikeng and the rest of the North West Province, the tide has turned.
Equally, the success of this initiative will convince even the most sceptical among us that more than ever before, the goal of building a better province is now firmly within reach.
I wish all those involved in this important initiative.
I thank you!
Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
4 December 2003
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Molefe: Launch of Mafikeng to Johannesburg airline passenger service
SPEECH BY THE NORTH WEST PREMIER, DR POPO SIMON MOLEFE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE OPERATOR FOR THE MAFIKENG AIRPORT, 4 December 2003
Programme Director,
MECs present,
The Mayor of Mafikeng,
Honoured Guests,
Representatives of the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Let me begin by welcoming all of you to the historic launch of the airline passenger service for the Mafikeng Airport. Today is indeed a special day for the City of Mafikeng and the whole of the North West Province. It is a day in which we are ushering in a new and exciting era of prosperity and economic growth for this city.
As you will recall, the withdrawal of the previous Mafikeng/Johannesburg airline passenger service operator came as a serve setback to the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas. It led to the shedding of jobs and depressed economic activity around the Mafikeng Airport. It also left one of our province's major and most precious assets under-utilised.
In response, we as the provincial government, made a solemn pledge to the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas that will not tire nor give-up until we have brought life back the Mafikeng Airport. We understood then that the road we had chosen for ourselves would not be easy nor straightforward. We knew that it would be filled with challenges, some of which would appear insurmountable.
Despite this, we preserved and soldier on, and today we are celebrating our collective victory. As we launch of the Mafikeng/Johannesburg airline passenger service, we are reaping the sweet fruits of our hard work, dedication and patience. In many ways, today's launch is a pledge redeemed, a promised fulfilled, a dream come true and indeed a mission accomplished.
We wish to commend the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas for their patience as we were engaged in efforts aimed at finding a suitable passenger service operator for the airport. Their patience and confidence in the provincial government has paid off.
Today, we are justified in saying that the City of Mafikeng, the City of Goodwill, will never be same again.
The people of Mafikeng and indeed the whole of the North West Province join me in applauding the Provincial Department of Transport for making this launch a reality.
The launch of this airline passenger service marks an important leap in the direction of ensuring that we rebuild the economy of Mafikeng. With the launch of this service, Mafikeng will become even more accessible to tourists and investors alike. As from today, businesses people and tourists, who bring much needed income and jobs to the city, can travel quicker and much easier from Johannesburg to Mafikeng.
This can only augur well for the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas in terms of job creation and opportunities for income generation.
We are also encouraged by the fact that the airline passenger service between Mafikeng and Johannesburg is a product of a partnership between the provincial government and the private sector. This partnership is consistent with our approach, as government, to involve the private sector in efforts to rebuild our economy. We are convinced that the private sector is an important partner in the ongoing effort to expand access to services.
By entering into this strategic partnership, the provincial government and the private sector have demonstrated overwhelming confidence in the economic potential of Mafikeng.
As the provincial government, we have always maintained that Mafikeng is a city with massive economic potential. The city's vibrant and growing tourism market, its status as the provincial capital and its proximity to Botswana, whose economy ranks among the strongest in the developing world, contribute to it vast economic potential.
This display of confidence by the provincial government and the private sector in the economic potential of Mafikeng will go a long way in attracting additional investments from within our country and abroad to Mafikeng. It will also benefit efforts to attract investment as part of the Mafikeng industrial development zone.
It is a fact, Programme Director, that our efforts to attract particularly foreign investment to the Mafikeng Airport will not succeed if there is a dearth of investment by local business people and government.
By securing the buy-in of the private sector to launch this airline service, we have succeeded in positioning Mafikeng as a viable investment destination, a place where investors can invest safely in an environment where satisfactory returns on investment can be made.
The fact that the tender to provide airline passenger services between Johannesburg and Mafikeng was awarded to a consortium with strong empowerment credentials, speaks volumes of our commitment to black economic empowerment. It points to our resolve to continue creating opportunities for all our people, particularly those who were deliberately excluded from the economic mainstream.
We are looking forward to the success of the initiative we are launching today. We believe we are justified in expecting that this launch will be the start of many more exciting developments for the people of Mafikeng and surrounding areas.
As government we will do our part towards ensuring that this important initiative succeeds. This we will do because it is our view that the success of this initiative will add to the growing body of evidence that for he people of Mafikeng and the rest of the North West Province, the tide has turned.
Equally, the success of this initiative will convince even the most sceptical among us that more than ever before, the goal of building a better province is now firmly within reach.
I wish all those involved in this important initiative.
I thank you!
Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
4 December 2003
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