Date: 08/07/2005
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Yawa: Sod turning ceremony of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa High School
Speech by MEC for Public Works, honourable Mr Howard Yawa, MPL at the sod turning ceremony of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School at Slovoville, Winterveldt
Programme Director
My Colleague, MEC for Education-Honourable Reverend OJ Tselapedi, My Colleague-MEC for Transport and Roads-Honourable JD Thibedi Members of Parliament and the Provincial Legislature Our Father and Veteran of our struggle the Honourable Dr. Sam Motsuenyane, Chairperson of the Public Works Portfolio Committee-Honourable Themba Gwabeni The Speaker of the City of Tshwane Municipality-Honourable Councillor K Dau Batlotlegi Dikgosi tsa rona, The Ward Councillor and MMC for Land, Housing and Environmental Planning, Honourable Councillor Dlamini Honourable Councillors Community leaders Senior Managers in government departments Members of the Ward Committee Representatives of Teacher formations-SADTU, NAPTOSA and Suid Afrikaanse Onderwys Unie School Governors from Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School, Emma Primary School and Reatlegile Primary School Parents, Distinguished guests, educators and our beloved learners Ladies and Gentlemen
We are here today as government in Slovoville to respond to decades of colonial and apartheid deprivation and neglect.
Since 1994, over 1.6 million low-cost houses subsidised by government have been built through a housing programme that was initiated by the legendary comrade Joe Slovo, the first Minister of Housing in our democratic government. Comrade Joe Slovo has been honoured by many informal settlements throughout South Africa as he has left us his esteemed name and policies.
We salute the people of Winterveldt who are also beneficiaries of government's housing programme for recognising the enormous contribution of this revolutionary in our struggle for Freedom and Democracy.
In his State of the Nation address in February 2005, President Thabo Mbeki announced that the phenomenon of "Learners under Trees" should be eradicated soon.
In responding to the President's commitment I and my colleague, the MEC for Education, Honourable Reverend O J Tselapedi, have set up an inter-departmental Task Team to develop institutional mechanisms and systems to improve infrastructure delivery and Project monitoring.
We have set up a joint political and administrative plan of action to eradicate "learning under trees" phenomenon.
The inter-departmental task team is in the process of developing a five- year Provincial Infrastructure Maintenance and Developmental Plan. We expect to finalise this process by the end of this month. We are confident that this forward planning will see us overcome maintenance and developmental challenges facing the Department of Education and us.
In the meantime our departments have entered into service level agreements, which define amongst others, roles and responsibilities of our departments, monitoring and reporting systems and the management of Service Level Agreements.
Programme Director my department completed thirteen school building projects on behalf of the Department of Education in the last financial year.
For the current financial year we have undertaken to execute thirteen schools building projects prioritised by the department of education at a combined contract value of R82,1 million.
To address infrastructure needs of client departments, my department has awarded seventeen (17) projects to contractors for the construction of schools and clinics for the department of education and health respectively. Ten (10) of this Projects are schools building projects prioritised by the department of education while 5(five) are clinic building projects. The other two projects are the Staff Housing Project at the Vryburg Hospital and the creation of additional office space at the Ga-Rona building.
By next month we expect to handover sites at Adam Masebe Secondary School, Rakgotso Senior Secondary School and Ramabele Secondary School. As per mandate of the education department, six (6) additional classrooms are to be erected at each of these schools. The commencement of the extensions will bring to thirteen the number of schools prioritised by the department of education for execution by the Department of Public Works of as part of our 2005/06 schools building programme.
On Wednesday this week, my department handed over this site to the contractor, OPD Construction (Pty) Ltd to commence with the construction of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School.
The R8, 1 million school building project is scheduled for completion within 13 months duration period.
On the very day we also handed over a site to Kemoneilwe Business Enterprise for the construction of Reatlegile Primary School in Section U Extension in this very ward.
The R7, 9 million school building project is also scheduled for completion within a 13 months period.
Reatlegile Primary School and Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School building Projects both consist of: an administration block, 4 Heads of Department's Offices, eighteen (18) classrooms, 2 (Two) Special function rooms, 4 (Four), 2 Special rooms and thirty six (36) toilets.
We wish to appeal to the community to give both contractors the necessary support and co-operation to ensure that these projects are delivered within the shortest time possible .We cannot afford the luxury of having any one of these twins being delayed for any reason.
They must be delivered on time, on budget and to a higher standard of quality.
We once again congratulate the community of Winterveldt and in particular the parents and learners of this school for recognising and honouring the contribution of a selfless, dedicated and humble servant of the people, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa.
We are informed that the naming of this institution was not bureaucratic, nor top-down, neither was it controversial. By naming this institution after Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, the people of Winterveldt have in no uncertain terms expressed confidence in the visionary leadership of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa. The rest of Africa concurred with the people of Winterveldt and the majority of the residents of Tshwane when they recently elected him as the President of the United Cities for Local Government of Africa.
During the third democratic elections in April 2004, you also reconfirmed your confidence in the ANC led government as the best defender of the vision spelt out in the Freedom Charter. You indicated your firm support for our vision to unite our country around a People's Contract to create Work and Fight Poverty.
Your massive vote of confidence has placed a sacred obligation on us not disappoint your expectations.
We count on your partnership to meet the difficult challenges of eradicating the legacy of colonialism and apartheid and building a winning nation.
We owe it to our children and generations to come.
Programme Director, I humbly wish to request my colleague, the Honourable MEC Reverend O. J. Tselapedi to join me in turning the sod for the commencement of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School.
Ke a leboga.
Issued by: Department of Public Works, North West Provincial Government
8 July 2005
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Yawa: Sod turning ceremony of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa High School
Speech by MEC for Public Works, honourable Mr Howard Yawa, MPL at the sod turning ceremony of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School at Slovoville, Winterveldt
Programme Director
My Colleague, MEC for Education-Honourable Reverend OJ Tselapedi, My Colleague-MEC for Transport and Roads-Honourable JD Thibedi Members of Parliament and the Provincial Legislature Our Father and Veteran of our struggle the Honourable Dr. Sam Motsuenyane, Chairperson of the Public Works Portfolio Committee-Honourable Themba Gwabeni The Speaker of the City of Tshwane Municipality-Honourable Councillor K Dau Batlotlegi Dikgosi tsa rona, The Ward Councillor and MMC for Land, Housing and Environmental Planning, Honourable Councillor Dlamini Honourable Councillors Community leaders Senior Managers in government departments Members of the Ward Committee Representatives of Teacher formations-SADTU, NAPTOSA and Suid Afrikaanse Onderwys Unie School Governors from Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School, Emma Primary School and Reatlegile Primary School Parents, Distinguished guests, educators and our beloved learners Ladies and Gentlemen
We are here today as government in Slovoville to respond to decades of colonial and apartheid deprivation and neglect.
Since 1994, over 1.6 million low-cost houses subsidised by government have been built through a housing programme that was initiated by the legendary comrade Joe Slovo, the first Minister of Housing in our democratic government. Comrade Joe Slovo has been honoured by many informal settlements throughout South Africa as he has left us his esteemed name and policies.
We salute the people of Winterveldt who are also beneficiaries of government's housing programme for recognising the enormous contribution of this revolutionary in our struggle for Freedom and Democracy.
In his State of the Nation address in February 2005, President Thabo Mbeki announced that the phenomenon of "Learners under Trees" should be eradicated soon.
In responding to the President's commitment I and my colleague, the MEC for Education, Honourable Reverend O J Tselapedi, have set up an inter-departmental Task Team to develop institutional mechanisms and systems to improve infrastructure delivery and Project monitoring.
We have set up a joint political and administrative plan of action to eradicate "learning under trees" phenomenon.
The inter-departmental task team is in the process of developing a five- year Provincial Infrastructure Maintenance and Developmental Plan. We expect to finalise this process by the end of this month. We are confident that this forward planning will see us overcome maintenance and developmental challenges facing the Department of Education and us.
In the meantime our departments have entered into service level agreements, which define amongst others, roles and responsibilities of our departments, monitoring and reporting systems and the management of Service Level Agreements.
Programme Director my department completed thirteen school building projects on behalf of the Department of Education in the last financial year.
For the current financial year we have undertaken to execute thirteen schools building projects prioritised by the department of education at a combined contract value of R82,1 million.
To address infrastructure needs of client departments, my department has awarded seventeen (17) projects to contractors for the construction of schools and clinics for the department of education and health respectively. Ten (10) of this Projects are schools building projects prioritised by the department of education while 5(five) are clinic building projects. The other two projects are the Staff Housing Project at the Vryburg Hospital and the creation of additional office space at the Ga-Rona building.
By next month we expect to handover sites at Adam Masebe Secondary School, Rakgotso Senior Secondary School and Ramabele Secondary School. As per mandate of the education department, six (6) additional classrooms are to be erected at each of these schools. The commencement of the extensions will bring to thirteen the number of schools prioritised by the department of education for execution by the Department of Public Works of as part of our 2005/06 schools building programme.
On Wednesday this week, my department handed over this site to the contractor, OPD Construction (Pty) Ltd to commence with the construction of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School.
The R8, 1 million school building project is scheduled for completion within 13 months duration period.
On the very day we also handed over a site to Kemoneilwe Business Enterprise for the construction of Reatlegile Primary School in Section U Extension in this very ward.
The R7, 9 million school building project is also scheduled for completion within a 13 months period.
Reatlegile Primary School and Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School building Projects both consist of: an administration block, 4 Heads of Department's Offices, eighteen (18) classrooms, 2 (Two) Special function rooms, 4 (Four), 2 Special rooms and thirty six (36) toilets.
We wish to appeal to the community to give both contractors the necessary support and co-operation to ensure that these projects are delivered within the shortest time possible .We cannot afford the luxury of having any one of these twins being delayed for any reason.
They must be delivered on time, on budget and to a higher standard of quality.
We once again congratulate the community of Winterveldt and in particular the parents and learners of this school for recognising and honouring the contribution of a selfless, dedicated and humble servant of the people, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa.
We are informed that the naming of this institution was not bureaucratic, nor top-down, neither was it controversial. By naming this institution after Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, the people of Winterveldt have in no uncertain terms expressed confidence in the visionary leadership of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa. The rest of Africa concurred with the people of Winterveldt and the majority of the residents of Tshwane when they recently elected him as the President of the United Cities for Local Government of Africa.
During the third democratic elections in April 2004, you also reconfirmed your confidence in the ANC led government as the best defender of the vision spelt out in the Freedom Charter. You indicated your firm support for our vision to unite our country around a People's Contract to create Work and Fight Poverty.
Your massive vote of confidence has placed a sacred obligation on us not disappoint your expectations.
We count on your partnership to meet the difficult challenges of eradicating the legacy of colonialism and apartheid and building a winning nation.
We owe it to our children and generations to come.
Programme Director, I humbly wish to request my colleague, the Honourable MEC Reverend O. J. Tselapedi to join me in turning the sod for the commencement of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa Comprehensive High School.
Ke a leboga.
Issued by: Department of Public Works, North West Provincial Government
8 July 2005
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