Date: 26/07/2003
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Van Schalkwyk: Final event of the Western Cape Government Imbizo Week
EXTRACT FROM SPEECH BY WESTERN CAPE PREMIER, MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK, DELIVERED IN THE PODIUM HALL AT THE CAPE TOWN CIVIC CENTRE AT THE FINAL COMMUNITY IMBIZO OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT'S IMBIZO FOCUS WEEK, Cape Town, 26 July 2003
Over the last six days the Government of the Western Cape has truly been a government on the move. Our Cabinet and our Heads of Department have travelled the length and breadth of our province to meet our people in their own communities. We have listened, we have discussed, we have heard, and we have understood.
We saw poverty, and we saw hope. We saw divisions, which remain, and we saw communities living the ideals of reconciliation and nation building. We saw a richness of spirit, a burning desire for more delivery, and we were inspired by the faith and good will of our people.
This Imbizo Focus week has been much more than a physical journey for our Government - it has also been a firm reminder of how far we have come. It has underscored the responsibility and the honour with which we, as Government, have been entrusted. We have been humbled by men and women in their thousands whose enthusiasm for what our NNP/ANC Coalition of Hope represents, has been overwhelming.
It is hard to find anyone who can match the people of the Western Cape when they have something to say. They tell it like it is, and never hesitate to say what's on their minds. The thousands of people who joined us at the Imbizos did not mince their words. They told us where they were not happy with our progress - but they also praised us for the stability, reconciliation, transparency, accountability and delivery we have brought to Government in the Western Cape.
We understand the poverty which remains in our province. It is the most important reason why we are determined that our NNP/ANC Coalition Government of Hope will focus not on the next election but rather on the challenges of the next five, ten and fifteen years. Our Government understands the burning desire of our communities, our families and our people for real and lasting human dignity.
We understand that people want to work, that they need to work, but that there simply are not enough jobs to go around. After this week of community Imbizos across the province our Government is even more aware of the need for jobs and to develop new economic growth sectors and opportunities in every part of the Western Cape. This is what lies at the heart of our Government's commitment to iKapa eliHlumayo - growing and developing the Cape.
What has also been clear from the community Imbizos is that our NNP/ANC Coalition of Hope has already built a proud track-record of delivery during the 18 months we have been in office:
1. We have restored stability, human dignity, and pride in the Western Cape - at last the Cape is truly a part of the new South Africa. We have proven that coloured, white, black and Indian communities not only tolerate one another, but succeed best when working in partnership to build our common future;
2. We have brought about levels of cooperation and coordination never before seen between local, provincial and national government (floods; new police; land reform etc.);
3. To beat the gangs and the crime we are increasing the number of police in the Western by 50% from 12 000 to 18 000 before the end of next year.
4. To help reduce poverty and create jobs our agricultural land reform projects have already settled 4000 beneficiaries and by the end of 2006 we will have settled another 3000.
5. To push back the frontiers of poverty we have ensured that 156 135 people who were not receiving social grants and pensions in 2001 are now getting the help that they need. Last month alone we paid more than 476 000 people a total of more than R262, 5 million in grants and pensions. In partnership with national government we will also be gradually raising the age for child grants to 14 over the next few years.
6. We continue to ensure excellence in education for our children with a matric pass rate of 86,5% last year, and with initiatives like our new Maths, Science and Technology Academy, our new Cape Teaching Institute, our new Education Foundation, and our Khanya and Dassie projects that provide computers to our schools.
7. We are advancing the battle against HIV/AIDS with the fastest and largest roll-out of anti-retrovirals to prevent mother-to-child transmission of Aids in Africa * earlier this year we achieved 100% coverage in the province. This means we are saving the lives of more than 1000 babies every year who are born without the virus.
8. To help grow our economy and create new jobs we are attracting more tourists from every part of the world to the Western Cape - with 976 000 overseas visitors last year. We will break the critical 1 million overseas visitors mark this year and we aim to have these tourists travel more widely and stay for longer in all the regions of the province.
9. To house our people we have nearly doubled our Housing budget from R271 million in 2001 to R514 million this year. We have paid out a total of 50 000 housing subsidies over the last two years. Last year alone 42 new People's Housing Process projects were approved which will realise the construction of 12 755 houses.
10. To accelerate growth, development and job creation in key areas of the province we will also be spending another R43, 5 million on projects in the Central Karoo as part of the rural development program (bringing total funding up to R192, 5 million), and another R73, 5 million in Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain as part of the Urban Renewal Program (bringing total funding for Khayelitsha to R713, 1 million and for Mitchell's Plain to R688, 1 million).
With achievements like these in 18 months there is little doubt how much we will be able to achieve over the next ten years.
I would like to thank every person who helped make this Imbizo Focus Week so successful - from our Cabinet, to our Director-General and Heads of Department; from mayors and councillors to the men and women of every community in which we were privileged to hold Imbizos. We were honoured to listen to the people of the Western Cape. We were honoured to be taken into their homes and be entrusted with their concerns and their pride. We have been honoured to be part of a process that is one of the purest forms of democracy in action.
To the people of the Western Cape we say: Thank you. Dankie. Enkosi kakhulu.
Enquiries: Riaan Aucamp on 083-778-9923
Issued by Western Cape Provincial Government
26 July 2003
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Van Schalkwyk: Final event of the Western Cape Government Imbizo Week
EXTRACT FROM SPEECH BY WESTERN CAPE PREMIER, MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK, DELIVERED IN THE PODIUM HALL AT THE CAPE TOWN CIVIC CENTRE AT THE FINAL COMMUNITY IMBIZO OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT'S IMBIZO FOCUS WEEK, Cape Town, 26 July 2003
Over the last six days the Government of the Western Cape has truly been a government on the move. Our Cabinet and our Heads of Department have travelled the length and breadth of our province to meet our people in their own communities. We have listened, we have discussed, we have heard, and we have understood.
We saw poverty, and we saw hope. We saw divisions, which remain, and we saw communities living the ideals of reconciliation and nation building. We saw a richness of spirit, a burning desire for more delivery, and we were inspired by the faith and good will of our people.
This Imbizo Focus week has been much more than a physical journey for our Government - it has also been a firm reminder of how far we have come. It has underscored the responsibility and the honour with which we, as Government, have been entrusted. We have been humbled by men and women in their thousands whose enthusiasm for what our NNP/ANC Coalition of Hope represents, has been overwhelming.
It is hard to find anyone who can match the people of the Western Cape when they have something to say. They tell it like it is, and never hesitate to say what's on their minds. The thousands of people who joined us at the Imbizos did not mince their words. They told us where they were not happy with our progress - but they also praised us for the stability, reconciliation, transparency, accountability and delivery we have brought to Government in the Western Cape.
We understand the poverty which remains in our province. It is the most important reason why we are determined that our NNP/ANC Coalition Government of Hope will focus not on the next election but rather on the challenges of the next five, ten and fifteen years. Our Government understands the burning desire of our communities, our families and our people for real and lasting human dignity.
We understand that people want to work, that they need to work, but that there simply are not enough jobs to go around. After this week of community Imbizos across the province our Government is even more aware of the need for jobs and to develop new economic growth sectors and opportunities in every part of the Western Cape. This is what lies at the heart of our Government's commitment to iKapa eliHlumayo - growing and developing the Cape.
What has also been clear from the community Imbizos is that our NNP/ANC Coalition of Hope has already built a proud track-record of delivery during the 18 months we have been in office:
1. We have restored stability, human dignity, and pride in the Western Cape - at last the Cape is truly a part of the new South Africa. We have proven that coloured, white, black and Indian communities not only tolerate one another, but succeed best when working in partnership to build our common future;
2. We have brought about levels of cooperation and coordination never before seen between local, provincial and national government (floods; new police; land reform etc.);
3. To beat the gangs and the crime we are increasing the number of police in the Western by 50% from 12 000 to 18 000 before the end of next year.
4. To help reduce poverty and create jobs our agricultural land reform projects have already settled 4000 beneficiaries and by the end of 2006 we will have settled another 3000.
5. To push back the frontiers of poverty we have ensured that 156 135 people who were not receiving social grants and pensions in 2001 are now getting the help that they need. Last month alone we paid more than 476 000 people a total of more than R262, 5 million in grants and pensions. In partnership with national government we will also be gradually raising the age for child grants to 14 over the next few years.
6. We continue to ensure excellence in education for our children with a matric pass rate of 86,5% last year, and with initiatives like our new Maths, Science and Technology Academy, our new Cape Teaching Institute, our new Education Foundation, and our Khanya and Dassie projects that provide computers to our schools.
7. We are advancing the battle against HIV/AIDS with the fastest and largest roll-out of anti-retrovirals to prevent mother-to-child transmission of Aids in Africa * earlier this year we achieved 100% coverage in the province. This means we are saving the lives of more than 1000 babies every year who are born without the virus.
8. To help grow our economy and create new jobs we are attracting more tourists from every part of the world to the Western Cape - with 976 000 overseas visitors last year. We will break the critical 1 million overseas visitors mark this year and we aim to have these tourists travel more widely and stay for longer in all the regions of the province.
9. To house our people we have nearly doubled our Housing budget from R271 million in 2001 to R514 million this year. We have paid out a total of 50 000 housing subsidies over the last two years. Last year alone 42 new People's Housing Process projects were approved which will realise the construction of 12 755 houses.
10. To accelerate growth, development and job creation in key areas of the province we will also be spending another R43, 5 million on projects in the Central Karoo as part of the rural development program (bringing total funding up to R192, 5 million), and another R73, 5 million in Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain as part of the Urban Renewal Program (bringing total funding for Khayelitsha to R713, 1 million and for Mitchell's Plain to R688, 1 million).
With achievements like these in 18 months there is little doubt how much we will be able to achieve over the next ten years.
I would like to thank every person who helped make this Imbizo Focus Week so successful - from our Cabinet, to our Director-General and Heads of Department; from mayors and councillors to the men and women of every community in which we were privileged to hold Imbizos. We were honoured to listen to the people of the Western Cape. We were honoured to be taken into their homes and be entrusted with their concerns and their pride. We have been honoured to be part of a process that is one of the purest forms of democracy in action.
To the people of the Western Cape we say: Thank you. Dankie. Enkosi kakhulu.
Enquiries: Riaan Aucamp on 083-778-9923
Issued by Western Cape Provincial Government
26 July 2003
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