Mount Ayliff, Eastern Cape, 15 October 1999
Introduction
Greetings!
The Rural Development Question
Since 1994 the ANC has been greatly concerned about the conditions of the people in the rural areas. To act on this concern you will recall that the first Reconstruction and Development Programme had most of its focus on rural development. Mount Ayliff was among the first to benefit. Since then the Government has been improving the strategy of attacking poverty where it exists most - this road is a small example of Government's commitment. The Government has prioritised the three provinces as the most poor - the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and the Northern Province. Within the Eastern Cape the Government is aware of the special poverty conditions in Transkei and special steps are being looked into in conjuction with provincial Public Works Department. A lot of these and other projects are spread all over the country. In the Eastern Cape, for this financial year the Department of Public Works alone has invested R168.6 m that created 12 511 job opportunities.
It is important to indicate that Government believes that firstly, it is still going to take us some time to alleviate poverty because these levels of poverty took many years to develop and were further exacerbated by long years of Apartheid misrule. Due this misrule we have found ourselves in deepest levels of poverty and huge backlogs and this Government is expected to reverse these conditions. We are committed to reversing these conditions but it is going to take us a while because of the financial constraints.
Secondly and most importantly Government is continuing to improve the way in which it does its business so that every community must get something from time. The people of Mount Ayliff can give testimony to this.
President Thabo Mbeki is leading from the front on the question of rural development and poverty alleviation. This has inspired the rest of government. Central to the vision of African Renaissance is the irreversible improvement of the conditions of existence of the African people - the rural areas is where you find most of these people.
One of the lessons that we have learnt in the past few years is that the needs of the people are so many that Government alone cannot not meet them all. There is a need for creative ways of developing partnership between Government and the people, including the private sector.
The private sector need to understand and develop a perspective that in order to make more profit and prosper, they need to join Government in a frontal attack on poverty. No business shall prosper when the purchasing power of communities is low. Big business cannot afford to simply appreciate the condition of poverty in the rural areas without altering them.
Government and communities salute those companies that have come forward thus far and rely on them to convince their colleagues on this noble course.
Ladies and Gentlemen
A clarion call has been made by the President to let us make the new millennium an African Century. What this call should mean to us all is that we need to double our effort to change our conditions of existence. If we do not do it now, chances are that we will never do it at any other time.
Let there be a new spirit that prevails in the country that says: "Let us be seen and understood as the nation at work". This should have meaning to each and every one of us - from the way in which we look after ourselves and the meagre possessions that we have, looking after our fields and little stock, looking after our children, families and neighbours. Let us isolate and treat with contempt those who are bent on making our lives miserable - rapists, child molesters and criminals in general.
This Government is prepared and ready to walk with you every step of the way.
After all has been said and done, let us reflect on what Government is doing in order to address rural development:
The present Government views rural development in the light of a need to address the infrastructural backlog, poverty alleviation, job creation and local economic development. This necessitates an integrated rural development strategy so that Government rural development initiatives are implemented in a co-ordinated and sustainable manner.
Government's initiatives
Co-ordination
Cabinet has established a number of Clusters to ensure that there is co- ordination at the Ministerial level, e.g. Cabinet Employment Cluster of Ministers.
Special Employment Programmes
The Government has set up the Special Employment Programmes (SEP) that are being implemented to create job opportunities e.g. Community Based Public Works Programme and the Working for Water Programme.
Targets
Government rural development strategy targets areas and population groups of great need and vulnerability. The provinces of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Northern Province have been prioritised in this respect, while youth, women and people with disabilities have been identified as special target groups.
Relationship with traditional leaders
In terms of an integrated rural development strategy, the Government encourages participation of all stakeholders including the traditional leaders. Although delivery is Constitutionally the role of local government (namely the District and Regional Councils in the case of rural areas), traditional authorities continue to play a key role in the sustenance of development assets by virtue of their influence on communities. It must also be noted that traditional leaders are represented in the District and Regional Councils where they make valuable contributions in the identification of local priorities. Infrastuctural delivery in rural areas is dependent on the support of traditional leaders, as they are the custodians of traditional land. The Government therefore has a policy of consultation with the traditional leaders.
The Department of Public Works and Rural Development
In 1994 the National Department of Public Works developed a National Public Works Programme (NPWP) as an initiative to contribute to the alleviation of unemployment. The intention was that this programme would act as an enabling framework to regulate the terms under which public contracts are granted. A Community Based Public Works Programme (CBPWP) was launched as a sub-component of the NPWP.
The Community Based Public Works Programme (CBPWP) is a Government programme driven by the national Department of Public Works. The CBPWP is based on the principles of job creation, poverty alleviation and the creation of sustainable community assets. The programme also believes strongly in partnership - not only with regards to working with the local authorities, but also in working with the various line departments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.
The following categories of project types have been identified: directly productive assets (e.g. community gardens); access to trade (e.g. access roads); labour saving (e.g. crèches); social cohesion (e.g. community centres) and environmental (e.g. erosion prevention). The programme targets poverty pockets with emphasis on youth, the disabled and women as specific target groups.
CBPWP in Eastern Cape
1997-1998 financial year
The Department of Public Works allocated funds to the tune of R27 million for the implementation of roads, schools and agricultural projects in the Qumbu and Tsolo areas of the Kei District Council. These projects were completed in March 1999.
1998-1999 financial year
During this period, the Department allocated R88,6 million to the District Councils I will mention below.
An amount of R29 million was allocated to the Kei District Council and R13, 2 million has already been spent with 1929 people employed. Project clusters have been implemented at Vidgesville, Tombo, Tabase and Mqanduli clusters. The Vidgesville cluster is now complete and Mqanduli will be complete by the end of November 1999.
Stormberg District Council has the following clusters: Bolotwa, Kaamastone, McBride, Ilinge, St Marks and Lubisi Dam. Of the R16, 8 million allocated, R13,4 million has been spent to create jobs for 1462 people, 38 of whom are disabled.
For the Wild Coast District Council, the clusters are Magusheni, Lower Ntafufu, Clydesdale and Kromhoek. The District Council was given R23,9 and R9,6 million has already been spent to create 6659 employment opportunities.
At the Amatola District Council, R24,9 million was allocated to implement the following clusters: Gatyana-Dwesa-Ndabakazi, Amatola Mountain East, Amatola Mountain West, Pedi-Fish River and Amatola Access Road. This Regional Council has made impressive progress and R15,6 million has been spent to create jobs for 2463 people.
1999/2000 financial year
From the 1999/2000 financial year, the Department has allocated R12 million to the Western District Council. Project clusters have been identified and the meeting is being held today for the Council to ratify these nodes.
An amount of R80 million has been allocated from the Job Creation Fund for the implementation of the roads linked to the Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiatives (SDIs) in Eastern Cape. Where access roads are concerned, part of this funding will affect three District Councils in Eastern Cape namely Amatola, Kei and Wild Coast. Stakeholders have been engaged and contracts are now being prepared for these District Councils to be the programme implementing agents. Business Plans have been submitted for review by the Department. There are, however, provincial roads which are being dealt with in conjunction with the Provincial Government.
Conclusion
In short, this sums up the contribution and active delivery to address poverty, create a stable community with job opportunities and a stimulated local economy by the integrated cluster approach of the Community Based Public Works Programme.
This is what the Department of Public Works does to address rural development - not a once-off, but integrated rural development with the input of the community, the cooperation of the local/regional council and properly co- ordinated with efforts of other role-players. The community should really involve themselves in the sustained operation of the assets created, and ensure that capacity building takes place to effectively operate, manage and maintain the created infrastructure, realising the economic abilities that has been unlocked.
Government is creating the environment in which to eradicate poverty - let all of us participate where we can!