Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Chairperson T C Memela, hon Chief Whip N D Ntwanambi, hon members, hon Minister, hon Deputy Ministers, hon members of executive councils from provinces, distinguished guests, comrades and friends, ladies and gentlemen, I feel privileged and honoured to have this opportunity to address this august House on this relevant and important debate in the evolution of our struggle. We have defined the fundamental objective of our struggle as being the turnaround of the interconnected racial, gender and class contradictions that confronted our society that arose from decades of a special type of colonialism.
It is on occasions such as this that we are reminded about the instructive words of the former President of Frelimo, the first President of the post- independent Republic of Mozambique, Comrade Samora Machel, when he said:
The emancipation of women is not an act of charity, the result of a humanitarian or compassionate attitude. The liberation of women is a fundamental necessity for the revolution, the guarantee of its continuity and the precondition for its victory. The main objective of the revolution is to destroy the system of exploitation and build a new society which releases the potentialities of human beings ... This is the context within which women's emancipation arises.
These instructive words of the late President Comrade Samora Machel are still relevant even today, and they apply equally in the rural areas.
The province of Mpumalanga is predominantly rural in nature. As such, there are various programmes earmarked by the Mpumalanga government for the improvement of the rural communities of which the majority are women.
The provincial department of agriculture, rural development and land administration is mandated to implement most of the projects. The department of agriculture, rural development and land administration is implementing Masibuyele Emasimini [Let's go back to growing our crops], agriculture infrastructure development linked to the Expanded Public Works Programme, a livestock improvement programme, and research and development, as well as the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme.
In as far as Masibuyele Emasimini is concerned, as part of promoting integrated rural development and responding to the food price crisis, the province is implementing the Masibuyele Emasimini programme. The province has purchased 185 tractors and other implements over the past four years, and these tractors are utilised to provide mechanisation for rural communities.
In addition, the province assists the rural communities with the acquisition of production inputs for their own food production and sales of their surplus produce. The cultivation includes both fields and backyard gardens, which are extended to school gardens. To date, 28 000 households and 116 830 individuals have been reached directly through the programme over the past four years. The province has planned to reach at least 39 000 households or 200 000 beneficiaries this current financial year, making livelihoods much easier as households will be food secure.
During the current year, the province is also developing maize mills and silos to further allow rural women to engage in economic activities through the selling of the surpluses. More than 60% of these beneficiaries are women, as most of them remain in the rural areas, due to migratory labour. The administrators of the mechanisation programmes are mostly women and about 10 have been employed.
Regarding agriculture infrastructure development linked to the Expanded Public Works Programme, for effective and efficient intervention in improving the lives of women in the rural areas of the province, the province has developed a focused and integrated approach to agriculture. This approach fosters the consolidation of resources in the form of, among other things, capital investment, to achieve maximum impact on poverty and unemployment. Through this programme, the province provides assistance to beneficiaries and women in particular on the land-reformed farms, to derive economic benefits through this capital investment.
The support given by this programme includes projects dealing with the production of macadamia nuts, horticulture, sugar cane and poultry in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality; the production of horticulture, soya beans, poultry and cattle in the Gert Sibande District Municipality; and the production of soya beans, poultry and gold in the Nkangala District Municipality. About 2 507 beneficiaries have been targeted for this financial year to be covered by the infrastructure intervention on their respective farms, and more than 40% of them are women.
In infrastructure development, more women are employed, thus contributing to the job opportunities in line with the EPWP II framework. In addition to the job opportunities, technology and skills transfer to these women form the core. During construction, about 1 139 people were employed during the previous financial year and 34% of these were women.
Fencing as part of soil conservation also assists in the creation of job opportunities and ensures sustainable resource development. This does not only cover current needs, but also the needs of future generations as the resources will remain in perfect balance.
With regard to risk and disaster management in the province, the province has a disaster management programme that is meant to provide relief assistance to farmers in general, including women farmers, if they fall victim to any natural disaster that would affect their agriculture business. The assistance is generally in the form of livestock replacement, repairing of infrastructure and fodder supply. In the previous financial year, about 35 women benefited from this programme, receiving about 200 cattle to replace livestock lost during the 2007 veld fires.
In terms of the livestock improvement programme, the province contributes to the control measures when it comes to arresting animal disease outbreaks. The province provides assistance to women livestock farmers by controlling and preventing significant animal diseases. This is done through vaccination against diseases like anthrax, rabies and foot-and- mouth disease, among other diseases.
In collaboration with the Industrial Development Corporation, the IDC, the province is also assisting rural communities, predominantly women, in enhancing the productivity of Nguni cattle. This will also provide an enabling environment for the women farmers to farm commercially with the traditional Nguni cattle.
Regarding research and development, the province is continually contributing through its research and development programme in order to effectively respond to the environmental and economic needs of our communities. This focus has been on adaptive research, in order to maximise the support to women subsistence and emerging farmers and to rural women's developmental needs. Through the land tenure programme, the province contributes to the emancipation of rural women by providing land surety. Through this programme, women landowners are provided with title deeds to ensure that women become economically active.
The province is leading in implementing a pilot project for the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, focusing on the Donkerhoek, KwaNgema and Emahashini communities in the Mkhondo Local Municipality. This pilot project is targeting at least 4 016 households. More than 2 500 decent and sustainable jobs will be created, and the women will be prioritised and targeted in compliance with the transformation policies. The province's plan is to direct resources and ensure that there is maximum participation and involvement by women. At least 50% women beneficiaries are assured from this programme.
The Expanded Public Works Programme, co-ordinated by the provincial department of public works, roads and transport, has programmes to improve the infrastructure, particularly the roads network, in the rural areas of the province through a programme called the Siyatentela project. This is done by involving the local communities.