Hon Speaker, in South Africa the reality of rural-urban migration is a product of many years of economic, social, and spatial neglect, which was driven in a very systematic way. We have to build quality rural livelihoods, and inclusive and equitable growth and development. These depend on thriving rural communities. The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, CRDP, which was established in 2009, is meant to achieve this.
Recently, the government decided to focus on 23 poverty-stricken districts across the country, particularly in the former homeland areas, so that these could be targeted for development as part of the infrastructure building programme of government.
Finally, as part of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, we have a special programme called Sustainable Rural Settlements, which includes revitalising villages and rural towns. In this context a number of areas - including the one that is famous or infamous, depending on where one stands - are some of those targeted for this programme. Thank you.