Nasrec, Johannesburg, 19 May 1994
Geagte Meneer Die Speaker
Geagte Leiers van die Verskillende Partye
Geagte Lede van die PWV Wetgewinde Raad
Lede van die Pers
Lede van die Gemeenskap
Kamerades En Vriende!
Today, Thursday 18 May marks the second sitting of the PWV Provincial Legislature. The eyes of the world and those of our people in particular are upon us. Not only is the sight of the people upon us, but their ears are fine tuned to hear how we will implement the policies which will provide a qualitatively better life for all. Today, we are faced with a challenge to begin the delivery of a good, clean and accountable government.
The reality of government is that we cannot deliver everything overnight. Only through consultation and agreement with all interest groups in this, our PWV Province, can we identify the most urgent priorities that concentrates on the creation of jobs, generation of wealth of the province and meeting the basic needs of our people.
More than six million people depend on us to provide jobs, housing, education, health care facilities, safety and security, public transport and good roads. In every residential area in this province people expect their refuse to be collected, sewerage pipes to work, electricity to be provided and the police to patrol the streets. These are not luxuries but are rights and we must make every effort to see to it that indeed the needs of our people are serviced.
For the 86 members of this Legislature the clock is beginning to tick and we must make use of the time we have, to serve the people, to deliver the goods, to bring human dignity back to each citizen in the villages, township, suburbs, towns and cities in our province.
Huge economic challenges face the PWV, with the knowledge that we must do everything we can to encourage existing and new economic activity in a manner that meets basic needs: More particularly, we must ensure the following:
This government has a special commitment to facilitate the building of small, micro and medium enterprises.
While urgently addressing the key basic needs of all our people Black and White, Coloureds and Indians, we must maintain fiscal discipline and use our resources wisely and efficiently. We as government will stretch every Rand before we can spend another.
We need a vigorous circle of progress in the PWV. In other words we must undertake urgent reconstruction and development projects that will play a role in ensuring greater stability and thus creating an enabling economic environment that will maximize sustainable growth. Such growth will lay the foundation for more pervasive reconstruction and development which in turn will further increase economic output and so continue the cycle.
Honourable Comrade Speaker, Standing Committees of this Legislature must begin to undertake their work as a matter of urgency if we are to succeed with our programme of delivery.
In studying the various proposals put forward by some of the MEC's as their most important priorities, I was immensely impressed with the amount of work that has already been undertaken in a relatively short space of time.
The projected target for the provision of housing in the province over the next 12 months is 150 000 units. The plan is to provide units which are equipped with all the essential services, i.e. electricity, running water and telephone network. Already many private enterprises are indicating a keen interest to enter into joint venture partnerships with the province to provide low cost housing. We welcome this enthusiasm.
This will commit the private sector to play a crucial role in the plan to provide houses. We must make the following point crystal clear - In this province, as the government, we shall not be party to any scheme or plan whose eventual outcome on housing is to create serviced informal settlements in the name of housing. People deserve to live in proper low-cost houses. A full plan will be presented within the next two weeks to the cabinet.
We have the responsibility of reintegrating hostel dwellers into the broader community. Hostel accommodation can be upgraded into family units and alternative housing provided. Hostel dwellers who wish to remain in hostels should be assisted to upgrade their facilities.
Similarly in townships such as those on the East Rand where homes have been destroyed during violent eruptions, residents must be assisted to move back into their homes and these homes restored back to a habitable condition.
The Education Ministry has begun in earnest to meet with the various role players in the sector to discuss the implementation of the rationalisation process, which will save the taxpayers millions of rand and provide qualitative education for our young people. The process of developing one curriculum for all South African children is well underway and we can expect to receive a draft within months. Adults in the PWV who have not had the benefit of formal education must be given opportunities to develop their skills of literacy and numeracy.
In addition, we must ensure that this province provides appropriate training to facilitate maximum economic development.
The Health ministry, has made an announcement of its plans and we have to ensure that we implement the provincial component of this plan as soon as possible. it is imperative that we implement the life preserving immunization programme urgently, as well as upgrade the health services provided at provincial hospitals.
The emphasis on preventative health care must be pursued in earnest. Education around AIDS-awareness and other critical health information is essential.
The Public Safety and Security portfolio has begun the mammoth task of consulting all the role players in bringing about a plan to rid our province of the scourge of crime and violence. The Constitution commits us to establishing.
The various crime prevention units within the policing service must begin to develop dynamic anti-drug programmes. Also we cannot condone the increase in car theft, nor can we abide with the number of violent assaults and rapes perpetrated in this province.
A crime-free PWV has the potential to serve as the economic gateway not only to the rest of South Africa, but also to the sub-continent. We have the responsibility to actively solicit significant new local and international investment for the PWV.
Within the first hundred days we will establish a comprehensive and regularly updated economic data base to facilitate the marketing of our province and country.
We are a telecommunications hub. We require an integrated transportation network to serve not only communities within the province, but also to facilitate links nationally and internationally.
The inadequate social welfare service presently existing in our province must be upgraded in order to address the needs of the presently marginalised sectors of our society including street-children, women, the aged and the disabled.
The national commitment to a public works programme will be an essential part of a coherent and holistic urban and rural development strategy. The strategy must create an environment of which all citizens of our province can be proud.
These mammoth challenges cannot be adequately addressed by one sector or group. Rather the economic process in the PWV must be partnership between government, labour and business, community groups and academic and technical institutions.
The foundation for this consultative approach has been laid by the myriad of forums in the PWV, including the provincial economic and development forum. These forums will continue to play an important role.
At a political level the Government of National Unity, characterised by the ongoing process of reconciliation in the PWV, has provided a tangible example of partnership in action that should pervade all aspects of our society.
The PWV government's role is to provide the lead and to create an environment conducive to productive economic activity and the linked reconstruction and development of the Province.
The ANC's RDP provides the starting point from which government's leading role will be determined. Good government depends on an efficient administration and sound infrastructure.
However, there are both positives and negatives to having to create a new provincial government and administration. We must build on existing strengths and use the moment of transition to create a dynamic, efficient and appropriately structured machinery of government that is transparent, accountable and service oriented.
We will waste no time in initiating the process of appointing the Director-General who will head the administration of this vast and important province. Already the process of appointing members of staff for the office of the Premier and for each MEC has begun.
To summarise, Honourable Comrade Speaker, our Programmes must focus on the following:
The programme I have just outlined will create the environment in which all sectors can contribute to the pursuit of a better life for all. It is only through the active participation of all stake- holders - who this legislature is there to serve - that we can build a peaceful, democratic, prosperous and just PWV Province - as critical component of a national endeavour to build a new South Africa.
19 May 1994
Nasrec, Johannesburg