Date: 25/11/2003
Source: Department of Public Works
Title: Sigcau: Handing over the Ndaya Community Production Centre


SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS, STELLA SIGCAU, AT THE OFFICIAL HANDING OVER OF THE NDAYA COMMUNITY PRODUCTION CENTRE, 25 November 2003

The MEC for Works, KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Mike Mabuyakhulu
The Executive Mayor of Ugu District Council, Councillor Mntomuhle Khawula
The Mayor of Vulamehlo Municipality, Councillor M Mbele
Inkosi Mkhize of Isimahla Traditional Authority
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

On 17 October 2003, South Africa joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty as declared by the United Nations in 1983. Poverty manifests itself in many ways. Significantly poverty is characterized by:

* Lack of choices
* Lack of access to essential services
* Lack of infrastructure
* Lack of resources including skills
* Lack of access to means of production including employment

When the government of national unity led by the ANC took over in 1994, poverty was the major challenge confronting us. Since we had both the will power and the business plan to govern, today we are turning the tide against poverty and pushing back the frontiers of poverty that seemed to captivate our people in perpetual bondage.

Rural poverty is more apparent because of many decades of colonial and apartheid neglect. Our response was to launch the Community Based Public Works (CBPWP) programme as part of rural development strategy with a bias towards infrastructure creation. The programme i.e. (CBPWP) goes into the heartland of South African most impoverished rural areas to build basic but essential infrastructure, create much needed jobs meanwhile dispensing critical skills for people development.

Since 1999, the Department of Public Works through CBPWP has invested more than R1, 5 billion nationally and constructed nearly 3000 (i.e. 2825) infrastructure projects. The implication of this in terms of poverty alleviation is that infrastructure was built where none existed before. In the process, about 117 553 jobs were created of which 46,1% (54 250) and 44,4% (52163) went to women and youth, respectively. About 2,2% (2550) of these jobs were carried out by people with disability. It is important to emphasize these numbers because we want to reflect the magnitude of a task at hand, but also to demonstrate the progress we have made as this government.

In the same period (since 1999), the KwaZulu-Natal Province benefited substantially from our investment and other efforts. In total, more than R303 million was allocated to the province for the creation of 880 physical projects (infrastructure). This managed to open up job opportunities for 36 888 people including 16 957 women, 15 824 youth and 843 disabled people. These figures exclude R70, 1 million invested in 2003/2004 alone that is currently under implementation. We expect more jobs and projects to be built as a result.

The projects we build fall in different categories. Labour saving projects include cr