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Date
: 22/11/2003
Source: Ministry of Correctional Services
Title: Skosana: Launch of Mohlakeng MPCC
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR BEN M SKOSANA,
MP, AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE MOHLAKENG MULTI-PURPOSE COMMUNITY
CENTRE, Randfontein, Gauteng, Saturday, 22 November 2003
Programme Director
Representatives of the GCIS
Members of the Mohlakeng Community
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Over the past nine years, the Government has shown its desire and
commitment to fulfilling its constitutional obligations to the
citizens of this country, especially women, who despite
constitutionally enshrined rights and we continue to be exposed to
reports of unacceptably high levels of abuse and violence against
women and children in many areas of our society.
Our commitment to combating violence and related forms of abuse
directed at women and children continues to be a priority of our
Government.
This is not just for the 16-day period but on an ongoing and
sustainable basis and on every possible front including the
provision of social assistance to women and children in need, the
provision of specialised domestic violence legislation, roll-out of
fifty sexual offences courts in the past five years and a plethora
of other mechanisms aimed at protecting vulnerable groups.
The sixteen-day period allows us as a collective to focus our
attention intensely on the problem of gender-based and
child-directed violence, take stock of progress and re-commit
ourselves to eradicating this scourge.
It is therefore no coincidence that the beneficiaries of the
project are women, who according to the latest statistics
constitute the majority of this country's population. Most
households are headed by women and they therefore are the ones
mostly in need of government information so that they may know how
Government can be of assistance to them.
Most people know what it is like to be sent from one place to
another to get government information and services. This is even
worse in areas where distances are vast and travelling becomes
expensive. People who are already amongst the poorest in this
country then carry this cost. It should not be the duty of citizens
to go to such lengths to access that, which is their right.
President Thabo Mbeki has long supported the idea of one-stop
government service and information centres where long delays and
travelling can be cut.
One of the ways this is being done is by establishing Multi-purpose
Community Centres (MPCCs) across South Africa, a programme that
first began at Tombo in the Eastern Cape in December 1999. Since
then a successful rollout of MPCCs has occurred nationwide with
forty-five MPCCs now available in all provinces.
The Mohlakeng MPCC here in the West Rand is the tenth MPCC in
Gauteng established in response to the needs of communities for
information and services. The project in Gauteng is spearheaded by
the Premier's Office. In partnership with Government Communication
and Information System (GCIS), this initiative is being extended in
the province as a further three MPCCs are planned for this
financial year.
Through this initiative, more than five hundred government services
from national, provincial and local government as well as
parastatals and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been
taken to areas where they never were.
At these places people have been getting services and information
closer to them and in a more accountable manner, that is, people
are closer to the public servants and hence can hold them
accountable and can expect service in line with Batho Pele
principles.
The government plans to have sixty (60) MPCCs, one in every
district and metropolitan municipality in the country by the end of
March 2004.
Some people may begin to wonder what this MPCC is and what purpose
does it serve? An MPCC is a place where a number of services are
provided by local, provincial and national governments as well as
parastatals, NGOs, community-based organisations and the private
sector. The services offered at an MPCC are those that have been
identified by you the community. Every MPCC is different; some will
be made up of just one building with a number of service providers
in various offices, while sometimes a number of them will be on one
site providing a variety of services.
The MPCC will be an important place for the following
reasons:
* For communities to tell government what information and services
they need so that government departments and other partners from
parastatals and NGOs can then respond to these needs.
* Where communities can develop their skills and knowledge and this
will see many different types of training and skills development,
which can help in promoting employment in the community and also
help local leaders to be better equipped to promote community
development.
* Where many activities and programmes will happen and many
networks can operate because an MPCC is a stable place, properly
managed by partners especially those from local government and this
will encourage investors and development groups to want to link
with communities through the MPCC - public and private sectors can
have a common place where they can work together in a coordinated
way.
The Agency for International Development said this about community
development:
"Community development as a process has been defined in terms of
helping people learn the attitudes, the skills and the concepts
they need in order to participate effectively in the democratic
solution of common problems.
More specifically, community development is: giving technical
assistance at the local level on how people plan and work together
for better living for all. Its real objectives are:
* to help community people to find ways of organising self-help
programmes
* to furnish them with techniques for cooperative action on plans
which they themselves develop to improve their own
circumstances.
At the heart of all this is village organisation."
(The Village-Aid worker and Democratic Program Planning - Series A.
Volume 7, June 1962, Washington)
The following are some of the benefits that the community will
derive from this MPCC:
* Access to training and the development of skills
* Access to integrated and cost-effective government information
and other services
* Sustainable services because the community will be involved in
the MPCC and will help keep those giving the services
accountable
* The community will receive and use specialised information and
services from participating government departments.
The MPCC programme of government is a very comprehensive one and a
good example of how successfully government departments from local,
provincial and national levels can work together with parastatals,
NGOs and community groups to make development a reality. This
project rests on strong partnerships, and we are proud that many of
our important stakeholders and partners are here today.
Many social problems gave rise to the MPCC programme including the
fact that delivery of the basic services especially to the poorest
of the poor such as housing, etc. has been slow.
Despite some organisations having taken on the responsibility to
bring about change, further disillusionment was caused because
organisations were working in an uncoordinated manner, battling for
ownership or participation.
It was therefore decided to provide facilities under one roof in a
coordinated manner to address the social ills facing the
communities of Mohlakeng, Bekkersdal and Simunye, to ensure that
communities get services at close proximity while on the other hand
they are able to access sporting facilities.
The services in this centre reflect all the three spheres of
government as service providers range from the local, provincial
and national spheres. Currently the following municipal services
are offered:
* payments of rates
* electricity
* housing
* primary health care
* library services
* sports and recreation.
In conclusion, I would like to express my appreciation to everyone
present here today to grace this occasion. You are witness to the
fact that Government is genuinely concerned about the welfare of
the disadvantaged people of this country.
The impact of the Imbizo outreach programme as well as the
establishment of MPCCs throughout the country are some of the means
that Government employs to enhance communication with the people
and also to bring services closer to them. Let us all take
collective responsibility to protect these facilities as they are
meant to benefit all of us.
Those who do not have your interests at heart must not be allowed
to destroy these facilities, because they are not just meant to
benefit you, but they will be of benefit to your children and your
children's children.
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