Date: 03/09/2004
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: Western Cape Imbizo
WESTERN CAPE IMBIZO: ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT, JACOB ZUMA, TO THE LAUNCH OF THE GEORGE MOBILITY STRATEGY AND OPENING OF TEMBALETHU TAXI RANK, GEORGE, Southern Cape, 3 September 2004
The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Malusi Gigaba
The Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Ebrahim Rasool
The MEC for Transport Mcebisi Skwatsha and all MEC's
The Mayor of George and all Councillors
Members of the community
We thank you for hosting us today at this wonderful occasion, when we launch the George Mobility Strategy and officially open the Thembalethu Taxi Rank.
The launch is taking place during our Imbizo programme visit, aimed at promoting two-way communication between government and citizens and to enhance our country's participatory democracy.
The imbizo also provides us with an opportunity to share with you the programme of action of government and so that we can discuss how we can work together to improve and speed up the implementation of the programme.
You would be aware of the priorities of our government during this term, which include, to name a few:
* Growing the economy to create more job opportunities
* Alleviating and eradicating poverty through boosting the Second Economy where millions of our people make a living. The Expanded Public Works Programme is a key feature of this intervention
* Building police-community partnerships to fight crime and create safer neighbourhoods for our families and communities.
The George Mobility Strategy being launched today and the upgraded taxi rank being opened are part of government's Expanded Public Works Programme interventions, which is our response to poverty and joblessness, as well as the lack of infrastructure in our communities.
President Mbeki launched the Western Cape's Expanded Public Works Programme in Cape Town yesterday. The programme intends to achieve the following:
* To create work opportunities for the marginalized
* Improve the skills base of those unable to actively participate in the growing opportunities brought by a stable and growing economy
* Ensure that social services including infrastructure development and environmental management are enhanced so as to build a better quality of life for the people, especially those that were denied these benefits in the past.
The George Mobility Strategy and the development of this taxi rank is intended to reverse the legacy of apartheid social planning, where the poor were located in the periphery, far from the city and places of employment, in locations with no infrastructure in the cities. Ironically, the affluent, who could afford transport costs, were located near their places of employment.
Walking and cycling has become the dominant form of transport for the residents of Thembalethu, because they cannot afford public transport fares.
Our task therefore in this area and other parts of our country continues to be to reverse the legacy of apartheid social and economic engineering.
We are aware that the environment is also unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, and there is a possibility of accidents due to lack of sidewalks. There is also a lack of bus and taxi shelters in these areas.
The mobility strategy seeks to address such infrastructural needs. Today is a special day therefore as we launch the newly upgraded Thembalethu taxi rank.
You would also be aware that the long-term strategy of the provincial government is to build dignified shelters for the commuters of Pacaltsdorp and Thembalethu, and the building of sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists. The mobility strategy also aims to facilitate connectivity among the people who live in George municipality as well as the people of Eden District as a whole.
We have come here today therefore to say that we have heard you, and are doing our best to respond to the hardships faced by the community here, and with your support we will succeed.
As we open the taxi rank and launch the mobility strategy, we urge the community to continue working with government to ensure that more opportunities are created, and that the improvement of infrastructure in this community continues.
The Expanded Public Works Programme as well as a host of other programmes are available as instruments to assist in improving the quality of life. Let us use them to enjoy the benefits of freedom and democracy.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
3 September 2004
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: Western Cape Imbizo
WESTERN CAPE IMBIZO: ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT, JACOB ZUMA, TO THE LAUNCH OF THE GEORGE MOBILITY STRATEGY AND OPENING OF TEMBALETHU TAXI RANK, GEORGE, Southern Cape, 3 September 2004
The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Malusi Gigaba
The Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Ebrahim Rasool
The MEC for Transport Mcebisi Skwatsha and all MEC's
The Mayor of George and all Councillors
Members of the community
We thank you for hosting us today at this wonderful occasion, when we launch the George Mobility Strategy and officially open the Thembalethu Taxi Rank.
The launch is taking place during our Imbizo programme visit, aimed at promoting two-way communication between government and citizens and to enhance our country's participatory democracy.
The imbizo also provides us with an opportunity to share with you the programme of action of government and so that we can discuss how we can work together to improve and speed up the implementation of the programme.
You would be aware of the priorities of our government during this term, which include, to name a few:
* Growing the economy to create more job opportunities
* Alleviating and eradicating poverty through boosting the Second Economy where millions of our people make a living. The Expanded Public Works Programme is a key feature of this intervention
* Building police-community partnerships to fight crime and create safer neighbourhoods for our families and communities.
The George Mobility Strategy being launched today and the upgraded taxi rank being opened are part of government's Expanded Public Works Programme interventions, which is our response to poverty and joblessness, as well as the lack of infrastructure in our communities.
President Mbeki launched the Western Cape's Expanded Public Works Programme in Cape Town yesterday. The programme intends to achieve the following:
* To create work opportunities for the marginalized
* Improve the skills base of those unable to actively participate in the growing opportunities brought by a stable and growing economy
* Ensure that social services including infrastructure development and environmental management are enhanced so as to build a better quality of life for the people, especially those that were denied these benefits in the past.
The George Mobility Strategy and the development of this taxi rank is intended to reverse the legacy of apartheid social planning, where the poor were located in the periphery, far from the city and places of employment, in locations with no infrastructure in the cities. Ironically, the affluent, who could afford transport costs, were located near their places of employment.
Walking and cycling has become the dominant form of transport for the residents of Thembalethu, because they cannot afford public transport fares.
Our task therefore in this area and other parts of our country continues to be to reverse the legacy of apartheid social and economic engineering.
We are aware that the environment is also unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, and there is a possibility of accidents due to lack of sidewalks. There is also a lack of bus and taxi shelters in these areas.
The mobility strategy seeks to address such infrastructural needs. Today is a special day therefore as we launch the newly upgraded Thembalethu taxi rank.
You would also be aware that the long-term strategy of the provincial government is to build dignified shelters for the commuters of Pacaltsdorp and Thembalethu, and the building of sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists. The mobility strategy also aims to facilitate connectivity among the people who live in George municipality as well as the people of Eden District as a whole.
We have come here today therefore to say that we have heard you, and are doing our best to respond to the hardships faced by the community here, and with your support we will succeed.
As we open the taxi rank and launch the mobility strategy, we urge the community to continue working with government to ensure that more opportunities are created, and that the improvement of infrastructure in this community continues.
The Expanded Public Works Programme as well as a host of other programmes are available as instruments to assist in improving the quality of life. Let us use them to enjoy the benefits of freedom and democracy.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
3 September 2004
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