Chairperson, the Premier of Northern Cape present today, members of the NCOP, ladies and gentlemen and distinguished guests, as you know, the NCOP conducted the ``Taking Parliament to the People'' Programme at the Moshaweng Municipal Hall in the Kgalagadi District from 27-31 March 2006. I am sure that you are also aware that President Mbeki has declared that region of Kgalagadi a rural nodal point and I have been deployed to champion issues of economic development there. Thus, it was with keen interest that I listened to the deliberations in Kgalagadi earlier this year, and I would like to assure those community members who attended and contributed that their voices indeed have been heard.
The work of the Department of Trade and Industry, led by Minister Mpahlwa, in promoting economic empowerment and addressing the issue of the first and the second economy and striving for accelerated and shared growth, touched on most if not all of the key themes that were discussed in March.
Discussions pointed to four areas where the department could play a strategic role: Enterprise development, women empowerment or women development, youth development and the Expanded Public Works Programme, the EPWP. The Department of Trade and Industry's involvement in youth development and the EPWP is by virtue of the fact that the department is currently the chair of the economic cluster and reports on the progress of these projects as part of its duties as chair.
Our work in Kgalagadi started before the NCOP visits to that area. The foundation of our work in Kgalagadi was, in fact, laid by our current Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka, who is also my predecessor as a political champion for the area. We have started a campaign of taking the DTI to the people in order to engage small, medium and micro enterprises in peri-urban and in particular rural areas to increase the awareness of all the DTI groups' services or agencies that fall under the DTI.
With respect to enterprise development, the DTI in Kgalagadi was informed about the eleven anchor projects, and we visited eight of them before our visit in March. Some of the projects were evaluated by the Small Enterprise Development Agency together with the specialists who reported back to us. Among those projects were the Kgalagadi Dipudi Co-operative Enterprises, Devil's Claw Project, Rekopane Ostrich Agricultural Co-operative Enterprise.
The assessment, which was done by an operational specialist, was an eye opener for us. They also assured us that these projects would make a real contribution in the upliftment of the communities in the Kgalagadi area.
During the week that we took Parliament to the people in Moshaweng, we also hosted an empowerment dinner together with the Office of the Premier and the National Youth Commission, themed ``The Age of Hope: A National Effort for Faster and Shared Growth and Economy that Benefits All''. We brought together the newly elected members of the municipality, members of the NCOP, members of the provincial legislature, officials, businesspeople and community members across a wide spectrum.
We used the event to update those present about the new products and developments in the Department of Trade and Industry, as well as to publicise the plans to launch the Batjha Fund, a joint venture by the Office of the Premier, the executive mayor and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and Absa.
The DTI is constantly stressing the importance of small enterprises and co- operatives. I have listened to the hon Galela talking about the co- operatives as vehicles of growth and development in our country. Yes, indeed, we agree with you but this is one of the issues we started in Kgalagadi in particular. We have managed to train some of the LED managers because we want to have these co-operatives also spearheaded as part of the DTI's functions. So, that point is covered. Don't worry too much; you will get the progress report as we go on.
We also want to say that SEDA has been launched in the province. We will also be launching an office soon in Kgalagadi to bring the services closer to the people. I think I answered questions yesterday here. I did explain about the roll-out and about some of the challenges that we face. We hope that each and every municipality will be able to have an office of SEDA as time goes on, but I will not mention the timeframe now, because that depends on the challenges that were raised yesterday.
With regard to women's development, the women of South Africa continue to face unique challenges, most of which were highlighted by the local women who spoke at the Moshaweng Municipality Hall. High unemployment rates, low literacy levels, the prevalence of domestic abuse, were issues raised by various speakers. What impressed me most was the proactive manner in which those same women offered solutions to the challenges that they faced.
South African women are not afraid of hard work. For example, women from the Kgalagadi District expressed great anticipation of being given employment opportunities in the form of removing litter from the streets and felling alien trees.
To complement this, on 19 August this year, our department, together with the provincial department led by MEC Dikgetsi and the Kgalagadi District Municipality hosted an empowerment imbizo in Kgalagadi for women entrepreneurs and those aspiring to enter business. The imbizo was in honour of the 1956 Women's March in Pretoria, and was used to listen to what the challenges are of the women of the Kgalagadi area who want to be entrepreneurs or businesswomen. We have also shared information on the various programmes or incentives available for women entrepreneurs.
Also at the same function, on the same day, we established initiatives such as the South African Women Entrepreneurs Networks - Sawen - that offers economic empowerment in the form of information and support and exposure to international markets. Recently, the new provincial executive committee was elected. We believe that this is a vehicle that can be used by many of the members that want to be entrepreneurs. But also, as I have indicated, SEDA, Samaf, and Khula were also present at that particular empowerment imbizo.
It is fitting that we are discussing women's issues in the NCOP, given the fact that the government has designated the month of August as Women's Month. Activities and events during Women's Month are geared towards ensuring that women's economic empowerment is afforded the place it deserves on the national agenda.
With regard to the last one, youth development, as I have mentioned earlier, our work in Kgalagadi was started prior to the NCOP visit. However, with the NCOP visit, we have learned valuable lessons and we could use the information to assess whether our programmes are on track, and where we should increase our efforts.
The DTI, again with the province and the municipality and the National Youth Commission, hosted a youth imbizo in February this year to inform the young people of the Kgalagadi area about the services and products that were available to them for economic opportunities. The youth at Moshaweng Municipality Hall told a familiar story: They are overrepresented among the unemployed, and they struggle to access the resources and information required to open a business.
As far as funding is concerned, the DTI wholeheartedly supports initiatives tailored to the youth such as the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the Premier's Youth Fund, which is to be launched. Also, beyond that, the youth can access the range of DTI financial services that are available and are offered. For example, Samaf, which is the Apex Fund that is targeted for rural or peri-urban areas, and has been launched in the province. The challenge is how to make sure that the roll-out of this and of Samaf is reaching all the people that need to use it.
In summary, I consider it an honour to have been able to engage with the people of the Kgalagadi District again. Their challenges are many but their resolve is strong. Their expectations are high, and rightly so. As champion of this development node, I am duty-bound to remind all present that we must not fall short of those expectations. We have an opportunity to improve service delivery, and it is one we must grab with both hands.
I must say that I was welcomed by the political committee and technical committee in that province, as well as by the Premier of the area, so that the area became my third home. I come from Gauteng, I work in Cape Town and now my third home is Kgalagadi. [Applause.]
I hope that we will be able to work together with the Premier as Kgoshi has said. This is one of the working premiers. I am not saying that others are lazy, but I think all those who attended know what it is that she is doing.
I must tell you that I was also impressed recently because the executive mayor Mereeotlhe was involved in an accident, and we happened to be there because we were taking the entrepreneur month to all the provinces. On 15 August, we were in the Northern Cape, we then passed through and we then went to the hospital where the mayor was. I was shocked and surprised because as I entered I thought that it was a private hospital. I was corrected by the protectors who informed me that that is a public hospital.
The entrance, as you get there, shows a beautiful hospital. The atmosphere is welcoming and I asked why. I was then told that this was done during the term of our current premier, Elizabeth Dipuo Peters. I am sure some do not know that she is Elizabeth. They know that she is Dipuo Peters. I was told that it is her effort that she changed the health services of that particular province.
I was really thrilled and very happy to say the President made the correct decision to appoint her as premier because she is a hard-working person, not by favour or whatever. I think women of this country are proving to be very powerful and very strong. You see by what they do, not what they say, and how they can change people's lives. I am very happy that I have a good relationship with her and the provincial MEC Dikgetsi as well as the local mayors whom we meet from time to time. At least twice a month I am in that province. So, as I have said, that it is my third home. Thank you very much, Chairperson. [Applause.]