Date: 09/10/2005
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title:Ndebele: Launch of Project Consolidate in KwaZulu-Natal
Address by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, honourable Sibusiso Ndebele, at the provincial launch of Project Consolidate in Jozini
Programme Director
The honourable Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Thoko Didiza;
The honourable MEC of Local Government,
Housing and Traditional Affair, Mike Mabuyakhulu;
Umkhanyakude District Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mthombeni;
Jozini Local Municipality Mayor, Councillor Madlopha;
Other Mayors and Councillors present;
All Amakhosi present;
Head of Departments;
Municipal Managers;
National, Provincial and Municipal Officials;
Dignitaries;
Ladies and gentlemen
It really is a privilege to be here today to participate in the provincial launch of the Project Consolidate initiative and also the Department of Agriculture’s Programme for Mechanisation Support for Resource-Poor Farmers. It is wonderful to see us maximising our relationship among all spheres of our government to synergise and coordinate our efforts in reaching our communities.
The opportunity to interact directly with the people of Jozini and hear and witness the significant inroads that are being made in addressing service delivery challenges within many of our municipalities is indeed critical for us as the provincial government and particularly for myself as the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.
These interactions give us further and better insight into the real challenges that we face so that we may respond appropriately and adequately. The honourable Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms Didiza, will elaborate on the activities being pursued under her Department’s Agritourism Programme, but in essence the programme is about addressing the gaps that have been identified in the creation of employment and wealth, improvement of economic development opportunities and involvement of previously disadvantaged groups in the mainstream economy of this country.
Agriculture is a key industry within this province and impacts upon the lives of many of our rural communities in particular. We welcome initiatives such as this to attract investment and development to improve the standard of living and economic power of our people.
In launching the Project Consolidate Programme here in Jozini, we are able to demonstrate to this community the active role that government is playing in attempting to address some of the key priorities requiring our urgent attention. The district of Umkhanyakude, under which this area of Jozini falls, is one of the four rural development nodes in our province that were announced by our President. It, therefore, means that we cannot adopt a “business as usual” approach when it comes to delivering services and generally the lives of the people of this district.
The installation of these water tanks and associated equipment to meet an immediate need in this community is an example of the practical, hands-on interventions planned under Project Consolidate. It is about identifying and interrogating the critical gaps in municipal service delivery and devising plans to address these issues in a co-ordinated and targeted manner.
The programme has gained momentum in its objective of supporting improved service delivery in target municipalities throughout the country. We are starting to witness activity occurring at the municipal level addressing priority areas articulated by the participant municipalities. It is not merely about throwing additional funds at problems but rather finding innovative solutions to make use of our available resources. Project Consolidate aims to be different. It is intended to complement existing programmes such as the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process and synergise efforts across all spheres of government. The word “Consolidate” in Project Consolidate is not unintentional.
As the province of KwaZulu-Natal, we are very pleased to see our national government proactively dealing with this critical issue which affects the lives of so many of our people. The programme is being driven by the Department of Provincial and Local Government through a central Programme Management Unit.
This unit works very closely with the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs in this province which has established the Provincial Programme Management Unit under the direction of Department Head, Ms Gabi Gumbi-Masilela and her team to ensure integration of interventions and alignment of objectives.
The Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs has allocated some R90 million over the next three years to fund the management and implementation of specific activities, which will be delivered within each of the 29 participant municipalities.
At the moment, a series of national Ministerial Izimbizo are being held throughout the province. Currently, there is one underway at Nkandla and another one in Ntambanana. The purpose of these Izimbizo is to engage communities around Project Consolidate and to launch Municipal Plans of Action in participant municipalities. The launches are intended to bring together all stakeholders involved in the programme, identify skills requirements to strengthen municipal capacity and provide communities with an opportunity to engage with the whole of government as active participants in the process.
These local Izimbizo will then culminate in a Provincial Project Consolidate Imbizo, which is to be lead by the President or Deputy President and is scheduled to take place in the Ilembe District on 10 December 2005. We see Imbizo as an effective way to allow us as political leaders to witness first hand what is happening on the ground in our communities. It gives us an opportunity to talk with you as our constituents and listen to your concerns, comments and suggestions. I t gives us insight into your plight so that we may champion your causes at the highest political levels.
In addition, we as those accountable to you as your appointed officials may share with you what we are doing to address your issues and how we plan to ensure we continue to meet your needs well into the future. Service delivery in this country faces many challenges that are not going to disappear overnight. I cannot promise you that we will be able to fulfil every single need that you have to make your lives better in the short term, but I can promise that in this province we will, while delivering services, also work at strengthening the processes, policies and programmes so that they are better able to respond to your needs.
We acknowledge that, despite our best efforts, some of you still live in very difficult conditions. We also are aware that poverty, neglect and want generally have a rural bias largely as a result of our apartheid past. We acknowledge the sacrifices that you have made to bring us to where we are today in our second decade of democracy and the positive manner in which you have risen above the adversity which you have faced. We acknowledge that we have a long road ahead which will have some bumps and detours and will change direction from time to time. However, most importantly we acknowledge that the only way we will get there is to work together with a common purpose and goal. This will involve much hard work and effort but I assure you that if we are able to do this, we will meet the targets, which we have established for ourselves as the three spheres of government.
In April this year, the province together with 11 district municipalities including the Durban Metro, ratified a protocol to establish the first Premier’s Co-ordinating Forum (PCF) at provincial level. This body, chaired by the Premier, aims to foster greater integration and coordination between the provincial and local spheres of our government. We believe that part of the cause for slow-paced service delivery and development is lack of coordination between ourselves as spheres of government. If the IDPs do not talk to the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS), then we cannot hope to move forward in unison. With the PCF, which meets quarterly, this will be a thing of the past.
In fact, this past Friday the PCF held its quarterly meeting attended by district mayors and provincial Ministers, where we discussed, among other things the need for coordination among all spheres of government to ensure that we bring to life, to the PGDS and IDPs; preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup as well as the Massification Programme. Clearly, this shows that the province and local government are hard at work to breathe life to proclamations contained in the Bill of Rights.
We have embarked on this because we are aware of the challenge of underdevelopment. Indeed, we have proclaimed that there is a State of Emergency in KwaZulu-Natal. Project Consolidate is about rising to this challenge. It is about identifying those areas in which we are challenged the most and devising innovative plans to remove the obstacles and harness the necessary support required to deliver on our promises as the Constitution enjoins us.
I think that it is important to point out that, through the launch of this programme, we are not trying to lay blame or point fingers specifically at those municipalities that are performing poorly. We are acutely aware that the system of local government, while taking root, is still evolving and therefore, there are bound to be teething problems. Through Project Consolidate we aim to ask ourselves what it is that we need to do to support these municipalities to improve their service delivery standards so that their communities participate actively in the social, economic, political and cultural environment in which they live.
A better life for all is the goal we ought to realise. All the work we do as government is aimed at achieving a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa. Practical experience has proven that such a South Africa is not achievable if our approach is lackadaisical. There needs to be a revolution in our planning and implementation of interventions to create a better life for all. Project Consolidate is part of this revolution. The Massification Programme or “Operation Mbo”, as we call it in our province, is another revolutionary step aimed at speeding up service delivery.
Operation Mbo is where all government departments, working in a co-ordinated and integrated manner, descend on identified area and working together with communities and local government structures, start implementing development projects. In this way, the government is able to create liberated zones which would be used as a springboard for more development projects in other needy areas. This strategic intervention does not, however, mean that we jettison our day-to-day projects that are currently under way. It is aimed at speeding up the development. Indeed, there is hope for KwaZulu-Natal.
I take this opportunity to wish all programme participants at national, provincial and local government levels every success in their endeavours, knowing that this province is behind you all the way. I know that Project Consolidate will have an impact on the day-to-day lives of the people of KwaZulu-Natal and that these efforts will be sustained well into the future.
Our lessons and learnings will be shared with others, in particular those municipalities that are not participating in the programme so that the benefits of this investment know no boundary. In particular may I thank the honourable Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs for coming to visit us in KwaZulu to mark this very special occasion.
We trust that you take back to Pretoria with you a better understanding of the significant activities being undertaken in this region and very pleasant memories of your day with us here in Jozini. To the people of Jozini, thank you for your involvement in today’s launch. It is wonderful to be here and I do hope you get as much out of this event as we do.
Masisukume sakhe KwaZulu-Natal.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
9 October 2005
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title:Ndebele: Launch of Project Consolidate in KwaZulu-Natal
Address by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, honourable Sibusiso Ndebele, at the provincial launch of Project Consolidate in Jozini
Programme Director
The honourable Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Thoko Didiza;
The honourable MEC of Local Government,
Housing and Traditional Affair, Mike Mabuyakhulu;
Umkhanyakude District Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mthombeni;
Jozini Local Municipality Mayor, Councillor Madlopha;
Other Mayors and Councillors present;
All Amakhosi present;
Head of Departments;
Municipal Managers;
National, Provincial and Municipal Officials;
Dignitaries;
Ladies and gentlemen
It really is a privilege to be here today to participate in the provincial launch of the Project Consolidate initiative and also the Department of Agriculture’s Programme for Mechanisation Support for Resource-Poor Farmers. It is wonderful to see us maximising our relationship among all spheres of our government to synergise and coordinate our efforts in reaching our communities.
The opportunity to interact directly with the people of Jozini and hear and witness the significant inroads that are being made in addressing service delivery challenges within many of our municipalities is indeed critical for us as the provincial government and particularly for myself as the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.
These interactions give us further and better insight into the real challenges that we face so that we may respond appropriately and adequately. The honourable Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms Didiza, will elaborate on the activities being pursued under her Department’s Agritourism Programme, but in essence the programme is about addressing the gaps that have been identified in the creation of employment and wealth, improvement of economic development opportunities and involvement of previously disadvantaged groups in the mainstream economy of this country.
Agriculture is a key industry within this province and impacts upon the lives of many of our rural communities in particular. We welcome initiatives such as this to attract investment and development to improve the standard of living and economic power of our people.
In launching the Project Consolidate Programme here in Jozini, we are able to demonstrate to this community the active role that government is playing in attempting to address some of the key priorities requiring our urgent attention. The district of Umkhanyakude, under which this area of Jozini falls, is one of the four rural development nodes in our province that were announced by our President. It, therefore, means that we cannot adopt a “business as usual” approach when it comes to delivering services and generally the lives of the people of this district.
The installation of these water tanks and associated equipment to meet an immediate need in this community is an example of the practical, hands-on interventions planned under Project Consolidate. It is about identifying and interrogating the critical gaps in municipal service delivery and devising plans to address these issues in a co-ordinated and targeted manner.
The programme has gained momentum in its objective of supporting improved service delivery in target municipalities throughout the country. We are starting to witness activity occurring at the municipal level addressing priority areas articulated by the participant municipalities. It is not merely about throwing additional funds at problems but rather finding innovative solutions to make use of our available resources. Project Consolidate aims to be different. It is intended to complement existing programmes such as the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process and synergise efforts across all spheres of government. The word “Consolidate” in Project Consolidate is not unintentional.
As the province of KwaZulu-Natal, we are very pleased to see our national government proactively dealing with this critical issue which affects the lives of so many of our people. The programme is being driven by the Department of Provincial and Local Government through a central Programme Management Unit.
This unit works very closely with the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs in this province which has established the Provincial Programme Management Unit under the direction of Department Head, Ms Gabi Gumbi-Masilela and her team to ensure integration of interventions and alignment of objectives.
The Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs has allocated some R90 million over the next three years to fund the management and implementation of specific activities, which will be delivered within each of the 29 participant municipalities.
At the moment, a series of national Ministerial Izimbizo are being held throughout the province. Currently, there is one underway at Nkandla and another one in Ntambanana. The purpose of these Izimbizo is to engage communities around Project Consolidate and to launch Municipal Plans of Action in participant municipalities. The launches are intended to bring together all stakeholders involved in the programme, identify skills requirements to strengthen municipal capacity and provide communities with an opportunity to engage with the whole of government as active participants in the process.
These local Izimbizo will then culminate in a Provincial Project Consolidate Imbizo, which is to be lead by the President or Deputy President and is scheduled to take place in the Ilembe District on 10 December 2005. We see Imbizo as an effective way to allow us as political leaders to witness first hand what is happening on the ground in our communities. It gives us an opportunity to talk with you as our constituents and listen to your concerns, comments and suggestions. I t gives us insight into your plight so that we may champion your causes at the highest political levels.
In addition, we as those accountable to you as your appointed officials may share with you what we are doing to address your issues and how we plan to ensure we continue to meet your needs well into the future. Service delivery in this country faces many challenges that are not going to disappear overnight. I cannot promise you that we will be able to fulfil every single need that you have to make your lives better in the short term, but I can promise that in this province we will, while delivering services, also work at strengthening the processes, policies and programmes so that they are better able to respond to your needs.
We acknowledge that, despite our best efforts, some of you still live in very difficult conditions. We also are aware that poverty, neglect and want generally have a rural bias largely as a result of our apartheid past. We acknowledge the sacrifices that you have made to bring us to where we are today in our second decade of democracy and the positive manner in which you have risen above the adversity which you have faced. We acknowledge that we have a long road ahead which will have some bumps and detours and will change direction from time to time. However, most importantly we acknowledge that the only way we will get there is to work together with a common purpose and goal. This will involve much hard work and effort but I assure you that if we are able to do this, we will meet the targets, which we have established for ourselves as the three spheres of government.
In April this year, the province together with 11 district municipalities including the Durban Metro, ratified a protocol to establish the first Premier’s Co-ordinating Forum (PCF) at provincial level. This body, chaired by the Premier, aims to foster greater integration and coordination between the provincial and local spheres of our government. We believe that part of the cause for slow-paced service delivery and development is lack of coordination between ourselves as spheres of government. If the IDPs do not talk to the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS), then we cannot hope to move forward in unison. With the PCF, which meets quarterly, this will be a thing of the past.
In fact, this past Friday the PCF held its quarterly meeting attended by district mayors and provincial Ministers, where we discussed, among other things the need for coordination among all spheres of government to ensure that we bring to life, to the PGDS and IDPs; preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup as well as the Massification Programme. Clearly, this shows that the province and local government are hard at work to breathe life to proclamations contained in the Bill of Rights.
We have embarked on this because we are aware of the challenge of underdevelopment. Indeed, we have proclaimed that there is a State of Emergency in KwaZulu-Natal. Project Consolidate is about rising to this challenge. It is about identifying those areas in which we are challenged the most and devising innovative plans to remove the obstacles and harness the necessary support required to deliver on our promises as the Constitution enjoins us.
I think that it is important to point out that, through the launch of this programme, we are not trying to lay blame or point fingers specifically at those municipalities that are performing poorly. We are acutely aware that the system of local government, while taking root, is still evolving and therefore, there are bound to be teething problems. Through Project Consolidate we aim to ask ourselves what it is that we need to do to support these municipalities to improve their service delivery standards so that their communities participate actively in the social, economic, political and cultural environment in which they live.
A better life for all is the goal we ought to realise. All the work we do as government is aimed at achieving a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa. Practical experience has proven that such a South Africa is not achievable if our approach is lackadaisical. There needs to be a revolution in our planning and implementation of interventions to create a better life for all. Project Consolidate is part of this revolution. The Massification Programme or “Operation Mbo”, as we call it in our province, is another revolutionary step aimed at speeding up service delivery.
Operation Mbo is where all government departments, working in a co-ordinated and integrated manner, descend on identified area and working together with communities and local government structures, start implementing development projects. In this way, the government is able to create liberated zones which would be used as a springboard for more development projects in other needy areas. This strategic intervention does not, however, mean that we jettison our day-to-day projects that are currently under way. It is aimed at speeding up the development. Indeed, there is hope for KwaZulu-Natal.
I take this opportunity to wish all programme participants at national, provincial and local government levels every success in their endeavours, knowing that this province is behind you all the way. I know that Project Consolidate will have an impact on the day-to-day lives of the people of KwaZulu-Natal and that these efforts will be sustained well into the future.
Our lessons and learnings will be shared with others, in particular those municipalities that are not participating in the programme so that the benefits of this investment know no boundary. In particular may I thank the honourable Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs for coming to visit us in KwaZulu to mark this very special occasion.
We trust that you take back to Pretoria with you a better understanding of the significant activities being undertaken in this region and very pleasant memories of your day with us here in Jozini. To the people of Jozini, thank you for your involvement in today’s launch. It is wonderful to be here and I do hope you get as much out of this event as we do.
Masisukume sakhe KwaZulu-Natal.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
9 October 2005
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