Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
Johannesburg, 4 November 1999.
Mayor Mogase
Game store management
Honourable guests
When I was growing up, I associated iGoli, our city of gold, with prosperity and the bright future that would inevitably result from eking out a living in this concrete jungle.
For a young village boy, iGoli was a jungle of abundant wealth and resources that could sustain the better life that all our people dreamed of. Little did I know that for most inhabitants of the city, this dream was 'ukubamba utalagu' - a mirage.
There are many who made the long journey to this city only to discover that the existence of its people was a tale of two cities, one prosperous and mainly white and the other poverty-stricken and mainly black.
Despite these glaring disparities, it was the most vibrant centre of business activity on the African continent, hence our efforts to reverse the relocation by some businesses from the CBD. Hence our commitment to deal with the squalour conditions that face certain parts of the city today.
This is a tide we must all push back to give back to our CBD the life it once enjoyed. We are however not recreating Johannesburg. We are building an African city that can take its place among the best in the world. This is the imperative, which informs the partnership between government and business for the regeneration of the city centre.
Over the last five years we have, amongst many things removed apartheid barriers hampering economic growth and development, and introduced better conditions for investment. We have made it possible for organised business to co-determine socio-economic policies, by participating in various business sectoral forums.
We have done this because of our realisation that sustained economic growth and opportunities require commitment and the participation of the business community as well. Our hope is to see life breathed back into the city as both big and small business begin to play a leading role in creating economic conditions that will be the bedrock on which future growth and expansion are founded. These are the conditions, which constitute the reawakening of what was once a city proud and tall.
We cannot meet the challenges of our country with the resources of government alone. We must build partnerships between government and the private sector to create more jobs. Such a partnership must be based on a common commitment to building a better life for all.
The investment by Game stores into the CBD results from this conception of the partnership between government and business, to start major business ventures that will create more jobs for our people in the Province.
Together, initiatives of this nature have the potential to change the face of our Province. And if we say there is hope, in so far as job-creation is concerned, it is because we know that all the partners have put shoulders to the wheel to ensure that we succeed.
The Gauteng Provincial Government reiterates its commitment to work in a close partnership with all the people, inspired by the clarion call Faranani to ensure that we draw on the energy and genius of the people in the Province to give birth to something that will surely 'be new, good and beautiful'.
Crime is obviously one of the factors contributing to the decline of cities and towns. The Provincial Government commits itself to ensuring that we arrest crime in our cities. Security measures that seek to narrow the space for criminals are being implemented in the interests of creating a climate conducive to turning Johannesburg into a hive of business and social activity. Together with the law enforcement agencies, communities, business and labour we are determined to fight the lawlessness which threatens to condemn us to a state of eternal decay.
As Provincial Government we are acutely aware that rejuvenated cities and towns will provide opportunities for economic growth and strengthening of our city's economy.
These are the things that we need to embrace as a nation that is working towards the goal of prosperity and a better life for all our people. They constitute an important environment for bringing up future generations. They are about the involvement of South Africans in building a better life.
On behalf of the people of Gauteng and this city, I wish to express our collective appreciation to Game Stores for making a valuable investment in the future of this city and its people.
I thank you
Issued by Thabo Masebe
Spokesperson for the Premier
Gauteng Provincial Government
Tel 082 632 6476