February 24, 2003
By Thomas Thale
MBHAZIMA SHILOWA, the premier of Gauteng, opened the provincial legislature on Monday by committing his administration to acting decisively in alleviating poverty, reducing unemployment, stimulating economic growth, expanding the social security net improving education and healthcare and providing more housing.
For the first time, the proceedings were beamed live to commuters and passers-by at Park Station and at the Baragwanath Taxi Rank.
Overall, Shilowa painted an optimistic picture of the state of the province.
The premier identified poverty, social inequality, patriarchy, Aids, child abuse, crime, illiteracy, homelessness, disease as the challenges facing the province and as a "blight on our democracy".
The accent of the speech however, fell on the steps being taken by the government to reverse these social ills.
Shilowa characterised the past three years as a period of "accelerated change".
Poverty Alleviation
In his speech, Shilowa, foregrounded poverty alleviation measures to be spearheaded by the provincial government.
The primary weapon against poverty, Shilowa said, is to make sure that more people access social grants. According to Shilowa, some 600 000 people now access social grants.
Shilowa said his administration would strive to create temporary jobs for the unemployed and to help train people through infrastructure projects which are labour intensive. He committed his government to maximising the job-creation potential of the public sector "through the promotion of cooperatives, public works, community-based public works programmes and infrastructure development programmes". In the last financial year, Shilowa said, 50 000 jobs were created through labour intensive capital projects. The Zivuseni project, aimed at contributing to the renewal of public and community assets and creating short term jobs reached some 5 000 beneficiaries last year. The government target is to reach 100 000 people over three years.
Shilowa said his government would continue engaging with Eskom to ensure that the provision of free electricity is extended to the poor areas serviced by the parastatal.
A water treatment facility is to be built in Sebokeng to service settlements such as Orange Farm and Vlakfontein in the far south of the city.
Housing
The premier announced that the Cosmo City project, which will see the creation of a township with 15 000 housing units north of Randburg, is back on track and construction on site will commence in the near future. The project had stalled because of resistance from property owners in the nearby areas who protested that the value of their properties could be adversely affected by the development.
Shilowa said the government has set itself a target of building a minimum of 40 000 social housing units in the province. Rand Merchant Bank is to fund some 10 000 units to the tune of R500-million over the next three years. The National Urban Reconstruction and Housing Agency is set to invest R1-billion in social housing over a four-year period.
Brickfields, a massive housing project in Newtown, will see 2 000 units being build at a cost of R500-million.
The premier also announced that 350 000 Alexandra residents will be given security of tenure for their properties. People from Beirut section in Alexandra will move into 228 new flats. A further 200 flats are to be built this year under the Alexandra Renewal Project.
Provision of basic amenities in Vlakfontein, far south of the city, is to be increased to accommodate people relocated from the Thembelihle Squatter Camp. The City Deep Hostel is to be upgraded and converted into family units at a cost of R40-million.
Schooling
According to the premier, all schools in Gauteng have received books. He hailed the performance of matriculants in the province last year, saying that the improved results show that government measures are beginning to bear fruit. Some schools are to be converted to cater for the needs of the disabled.
Learners in rural areas will this year be provided with free transport to school. School nutrition programmes will be extended to reach more learners from indigent families.
Healthcare
The government will make a concerted effort to extend vaccination to more children in the province. The premier welcomed the increase in the TB cure rate from 65% in 1999 to 70% in 2001.
HIV/Aids
Shilowa said all public hospitals and 90% of midwife obstetrics units attached to community health centres in the province now offer Nevirapine to prevent mother to child transmission.
The government has also introduced post-exposure prophylaxis to protect survivors of rape from contracting HIV.
Shilowa heralded the Folateng project which saw fancy wards being installed at the Johannesburg Hospital as a major success. The project now has 92 beds and three consulting rooms. The project is to be extended to the Helen Joseph Hospital, where 150 beds are due to be upgraded.
Investment
The premier announced that on his recent trip to Japan, some automotive companies committed themselves to "sourcing more component parts and supplies from South Africa". The Automobile Investment Development Centre, a Blue IQ project dedicated to boosting skills for the automobile industry, produced 4 000 graduates last year.
Shilowa said the Gauteng Economic Development Agency (GEDA) expects new investments in the province to increase from R610-million in 2001/2 to R1,5 billion by end of this financial year. The premier said construction on the Gautrain rapid rail project will start next February.
Government will be promoting Gauteng as a filming destination. The Gauteng Film Office facilitated film production worth R110-million last year.
According to Shilowa, the province would this year unveil its Integrated Development Plan outlining development priorities for the province.
"Gauteng is a better place to live in," Shilowa declared.
