Date: 14/11/2006
Source: North West Provincial Legislature
Title: Molewa: Christmas message to Provincial Legislature


North West Premier Mme Edna Molewa's year-end message to the Provincial Legislature, the Legislature, Mafikeng

Madam Speaker, Honourable Thandi Modise
Deputy Speaker, Honourable George Madoda
Honourable Members
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

We have come to the end of yet another very momentous and fruitful year in the execution of the mandate of the North West Provincial Legislature. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate this House and express the appreciation of the executive arm of government for the successful and outstanding manner in which you have discharged your responsibilities during the year.

Certain highlights in this legislative year do stand out and I would therefore like to recall them here. We began the year on a high note of the Age of Hope as we opened the Legislature and delivered our State of the Province Address on 10 February 2006. No sooner had we set the tone for the Government's Programme of Action for 2006 then we hosted the country's Second Citizen when this Legislature was addressed by the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Honourable Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

We are also very proud to highlight the National Youth Parliament on our calendar where the Provincial Legislature sent the largest and most representative delegation to National Assembly. By all accounts, ours was one of the best prepared, most visible and best behaved of all the Legislatures present.

Following on that, the Legislature sent a delegation of 22 to the Women's Parliament, itself preceded by workshops throughout the province. We noted also, Madam Speaker, that you selected once more a fairly representative group of women to National Assembly in August. Led by the very Honourable Speaker, these women then came back to this chamber to present to this House and Honourable Members not only their experiences but what they had learnt in the process.

Madam Speaker, participative democracy has become an inalienable ethos of our governance and administration. Hence the successful holding of the People's Assembly this year, preceded as is custom now by workshops throughout the province.

Once again, this Legislative House selected as representative a group as diverse as possible from women in the rural areas, to children on farms and people with disabilities. While 15 of these representatives went to Oudsthoorn in the Western Cape, 15 remained here in the province. I must therefore thank the Legislature for ensuring at all times that ours is a consultative and participatory democracy that draws its strength from the diverse people who make our North West province and for ensuring that our representatives are adequately prepared.

Madam Speaker and Deputy Speaker, I would like to express our appreciation for the sound inter-governmental relations that have come to define our workings as separate spheres of government. In this regard we note with pride the inter-governmental co-operation during both the People with Disabilities Parliament and the Older Persons' Parliament, where among other things over 1 000 older persons from all over the province took part.

I am therefore proud to say that our democracy is strengthened each day and that our inter-governmental relations are becoming sounder and sounder. In addition, it has become very clear that these sectoral parliaments serve to cement our resolve to make participatory democracy a lived reality and an integral part of governance.

Madam Speaker, allow me to note two other landmarks in this successful year of our legislature. These took place during the Taung floods as well as the debate in this House on the contentious issue of Toro ya Africa. Whereas the Taung floods demonstrated for all to see that our law-makers are not occupants of an Ivory Tower building by visibly taking an oversight visit to the disaster area, take stock of the state of affairs and suggest a comprehensive intervention by government, the Toro ya Africa debate demonstrated our collective resolve to debate thoroughly and possible resolve even the most contentious of issues.

Finally, I must thank the Legislature, the Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker as well as Honourable Members for exceeding themselves in the execution of their oversight role. Your work has ensured that our democracy is enriched and deepened. I thank you most profoundly for keeping the executive on its toes as it were and I am certain that together we will continue next year to advance our democracy and governance as we deliver on our historical mandate of building a better life for all citizens of the North West province.

I would like to wish all of you and your families a well deserved break, a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I must conclude by reiterating the message of government during this festive season: Arrive Alive, Don't Drink and Drive and be considerate on our roads and respect other road users.

I thank you.

Issued by: North West Provincial Legislature
14 November 2006