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Premier Chupu Stanley Mathabatha has tabled the Vote 1: Office of the Premier Budget today at the Limpopo Legislature. During the tabling, the Premier congratulated the office on consistently receiving a clean audit opinion. He also commended the Director General and Top Management for their outstanding work in ensuring that the office is well-run and efficient.

Other departments that tabled their budgets included the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture; Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

"I am incredibly pleased to announce today that the Office of the Premier has once again received a clean audit opinion. This is a great achievement for us, and I would like to thank the Director General and Top Management, as well as everyone else who contributed to this success," said Premier Mathabatha.

The Premier also noted that the office has achieved its equity targets of employment, particularly in senior management services where people with disabilities have been prioritized. The Office has improved gender equity targets from 46% to 48% in terms of women representation at SMS level whereas at overall staff representation women stand at 58%. This reflects the office's commitment to diversity and inclusivity, and Premier Mathabatha believes it is something to be proud of.

"I would like to commend the Office of the Premier for achieving the equity targets of employment, and for prioritising diversity and inclusivity. This is important, as it not only reflects the values we hold as a province, but it also creates opportunities for those who have traditionally been marginalized," he added.

The Premier also commended the Office of the Premier for prioritizing youth development by placing it at the centre of the government's agenda, reaffirming his administration's commitment to create opportunities for young people in the province. He added, "We are proud to announce that a total of 10 265 beneficiaries, primarily youth, have been supported through the SETAs, with an investment of almost R410 million during the financial year 2022-2023. In addition, over 100 young people who were placed on internship and learnership programmes have been permanently absorbed into the job market."

Premier Mathabatha also reported to members of the house about his latest meeting with the Deputy Minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation, Mr David Mahlobo. The outcome of the engagement was that municipalities that are water service providers have been allocated additional funding to speed up water reticulation projects.

“I therefore plead with those municipalities to accept that the provincial government will support and monitor the utilisation of those funds. We cannot allow Councils to interdict us as we support and monitor the implementation of water projects and prudent spending of service provision funds. We are saying that our people cannot be denied access to clean and portable water, while our main dams are overflowing,” emphasised Premier Mathabatha.

In closing, Premier Mathabatha expressed his confidence that the office will continue to operate with excellence, and that it will remain a model of good governance for other departments and institutions to follow.

Issued by Limpopo Provincial Government