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Date : 23/10/2006
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Social Development Strategy Launch


Address by Premier Mbhazima Shilowa at the launch of the Social Development Strategy

MEC Mr Kgaogelo Lekgoro
Other MECs
Members of Mayoral Committees
Members of the Legislature
Senior Managers Representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
Ladies and gentlemen

Today marks yet another milestone in our continuing efforts to build our province into a globally competitive region.

Two months ago, when we launched our global city region strategy, we said Gauteng should avoid the mistake of other city regions of the world which have entrenched inequality, poverty and social exclusion. We also affirmed that we have heard the message given to us by our people during the election campaign.

Our understanding of that message is that those who continue to live under conditions of abject poverty expect us to urgently implement measures to alleviate their plight. They want access to healthcare and other services that will help them to lead decent and quality lives.

The unemployed want sustainable employment opportunities so that they too can get jobs and earn a living.

The homeless and those who live in squalor want decent housing built on well located land and access to basic services such as water and sanitation and electricity.

The elderly and the young want to be treated with dignity, respect, care and compassion. Parents want a better future for their children.

The youth want quality education and relevant skills to empower them to play a more meaningful role in the development of their country.

Women want to see an end to all discrimination that has prevented them from occupying their rightful places and playing their roles in society. They want more effective protection from violence and abuse for them and their children so that they can control their own lives and destiny. They also want access to economic opportunities that can entrench their independence.

People with disabilities want opportunities to work and contribute to the development of our province. They want all discrimination against them ended.

Everyone wants to live in a secure environment. They want to go home every day with the knowledge that their children and their property are safe."

The Social Development Strategy is therefore intended to ensure that we work in a focused and sustained manner to bring to realisation these aspirations and desires of our people. It represents a consolidation of our efforts to build a comprehensive social package for our communities. It is based on a partnership between and among government departments and communities, civil society and business to respond to the social marginalisation of section of our communities, to provide social relief for those at the periphery of our economy, to alleviate their plight and put them centre of government's efforts to build a better life for our people.

It is a platform to provide for senior citizens, children and vulnerable women residing in informal settlements. The Gauteng Social Development strategy intends to deliver our people from poverty to self-reliance.

There has been criticism that we place a lot of emphasis on economic development. Let me make it clear that, I make no apologies for policy on economic development. It is important that we grow the economy, not for its own sake, but so that it creates jobs, quality jobs that pay. While we may put emphasis on economic growth, our strategy is about growth and development. It is balance between the economy and social development.

There are a number of challenges that we are required to address if we want to be successful in building the economy of this province and to meet our goals of reducing poverty and unemployment half in 2014. Some of these challenges include in-migration and rapid urbanisation. Gauteng attracts to more people compared to any province and it is has been estimated 23% of immigrants from other provinces and outside come into the province annually. Many of the migrants are highly educated and bring into the province sorely needed skills. However some do not have skills and largely live in informal settlements.

The rapid increase in population increases demand for basic services such as water and sanitation and it puts pressure on social infrastructure such as housing, education and health institution.

While the economy has shown signs of positive growth and unemployment has fallen from 30,4% in September 2001 to 22,8% in September 2005, close to a third of Gauteng households still earn less than R800 a month.

Another challenge is management of the environment. We have to manage our natural resources efficiently while meeting the needs of a fast growing population.

As we have said before, the continuing existence of a racial and class divide between a wealthy and thriving first economy, characterised by adequate and quality infrastructure, juxtaposed against a poor and struggling second economy, with inadequate and unsatisfactory infrastructure and resources, poses another challenge.

The strategy we are launching here today responds to these challenges. It places children, youth, women, the disabled and the elderly at the centre of our development efforts, through promoting a caring society, offering social protection and investing in human and social development.

In order to better tackle the challenges of poverty and create future generations who are well integrated into the economic, social and cultural mainstream, this strategy will ensure that government departments and the local sphere of government collaborate with each other to enable households to access a comprehensive set of services including shelter and nutrition, infrastructure and services, education and health.

It aims, further, to provide the necessary educational resources and social infrastructure to enable people to increase their potential for earning income. In these and other ways, government plans to radically increase its poverty reduction efforts that address the needs of families, households and citizens living with inadequate financial and social support networks. Key levers supporting this strategy are social crime prevention, human resource development, poverty alleviation, improvement of the quality of public health services, implementation of integrated HIV and AIDS programmes and the provision of housing.

Our approach is to ensure people-centred and sustainable development working in partnership with communities and NGOs to support and empower people who are unable to work and have special needs, such as the most vulnerable, youth in distress, children, the elderly and those affected and infected by HIV and Aids.

This is a government strategy but not a strategy for implementation by government alone. It is for implementation by all who live in Gauteng including non-governmental organisation, business and other organs of civil society. The aim is to restore the dignity of the poor and the vulnerable and provide the basic means for them to effectively participate in our democratic dispensation to improve their material conditions.

The Social Development Strategy compliments the Human Resource as well as the Growth and Development strategies which have already been launched. Our long-term goal is to ensure that the global city region, which we are consolidating, is not fraught with inequalities between urban centres and the periphery with urban centre experiencing unprecedented growth while the periphery continues to degenerate.

It represents an expression of our desire to fight poverty, build safe, secure and sustainable communities. I truly hope together we will go out there and say let us make the social development strategy a reality.

I thank you

Issued by: Department of Social Development, Gauteng Provincial Government
23 October 2006

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