Mudzulatshidulo a ?honifheaho, Mufarisa Mudzulatshidulo wa Khoro ya Lushaka ya Mavun?u, vhaimeleli vha mavun?u, dzi MEC dzi re hone fhano, Minisi?a na Mufarisi wawe wa Muhasho wa zwa Mishumo ya Tshitshavha, kha n?e ndi khuliso na ?hompho uri ndi fhiwe tshifhinga tsha u vhiga zwe muvhuso wa Limpopo wa zwi swikelela, khaedu dze wa ?angana nadzo na pulane dza ?waha wa muvhalelano une ra vha khawo, une wa vha wa 2009-10. (Translation of Tshiven?a paragraph follows.)
[Mr P RAMAGOMA (Limpopo): Hon Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, representatives from the provinces, MECs present here, Minister and his Deputy of Public Works, to me it is an honour and I feel dignified to be given the opportunity to report back on what the Limpopo government has achieved, the challenges it was faced with and the plans for this fiscal year, 2009-10.]
We congratulate the Minister of Public Works on his unwavering commitment to leading and supporting the country in the rolling out of massive economic and social infrastructure.
We welcome the commitment of this government to investing over 6% of the GDP on infrastructure development. The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework budget of R787 billion for infrastructure development will go a long way to address the huge backlog which is a key binding constraint on economic development and social transformation.
The effective and efficient rolling out of this massive infrastructure programme will afford this country, and indeed Limpopo, an opportunity to build on the achievements of the past 15 years of the democratic government and accelerate the achievement of targets we have set for ourselves.
Limpopo has managed to reduce the huge backlogs relating to the provision of health, education, recreational facilities and other critical social and economic infrastructure. We have battled successfully to provide decent classrooms for children learning under trees. Villagers can now access primary health care and hospital services closer to their areas of residence, and we have provided recreational facilities in areas where apartheid misrule did not dare to venture.
Despite all these achievements, the province is faced with the challenge of rebuilding mud and dilapidated schools and implementing a big-bang plan to revitalise hospitals and other health infrastructure. The major challenge to this is limited state resources and, as such, efficient methods have to be used, and alternatives such as public-private partnerships have to be explored. We have commenced with the construction of comprehensive schools which also provide the facilities necessary for quality learning and teaching, such as laboratories, libraries, computer centres, etc.
Limpopo has successfully co-ordinated the implementation of EPWP Phase 1. Through this programme the province managed to create 144 472 job opportunities and trained 43 253 unemployed workers, with 21 120 entrepreneurial firms benefiting.
The province provided skills to 574 young people through the National Youth Service Programme. A significant number of these young men and women are going to be absorbed into the department to fill vacant posts critical for building maintenance.
The province launched EPWP Phase 2 in March this year. Our target is to create 69 595 work opportunities this financial year, and contribute to the attainment of the national target of creating 500 000 job opportunities by December 2009, as pronounced by the President.
As our humble contribution towards strengthening our skills base, an additional 500 young people will be recruited to participate in the national youth programme. Working together with the private sector, we can do more in this programme. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the youth from the province are capacitated with technical skills in order to benefit optimally in the mining and manufacturing activities taking place in the province.
Limpopo will contribute 496 402 job opportunities, or 248 000 full-time equivalent jobs, to the national five-year target. This target is broken down to each public body, based on the municipal infrastructure grant and provincial infrastructure allocations.
The Limpopo department of public works is focusing on improving project management, real estate and building maintenance capacity. This is critical to ensuring that the province is able to spend its share of the infrastructure budget in time and develop quality infrastructure. In doing so, we will also empower historically disadvantaged individuals through the contractor development and the property incubator programmes. The province has finalised the property management strategy.
The province also benefited from the National Treasury infrastructure development improvement programme, and a turnaround strategy has been developed and is currently being implemented. The province has registered considerable progress in updating the immovable asset register. We are confident that this process will be completed soon, and a proper system aligned to the national initiative will be put in place to keep a credible register henceforth. Redundant properties are being identified for disposal through a variety of alternatives, including selling to historically disadvantaged individuals and transferring to municipalities depending on their needs.
The accumulation of municipal debts is a worrying factor in the province. This affects the financial capacity of municipalities, the majority of which have a low tax base, to render much-needed services. The provincial government owes municipalities rates and taxes and, as such, is contributing to the weakening of this critical sphere of government. The department has commenced with the payment of the devolved rates and taxes to municipalities and plans to accelerate this process in the current financial year.
The province is faced with the challenge of keeping the valuable infrastructure in shape, while at the same time focusing on addressing the backlog. The maintenance of buildings is going to enjoy our top attention, and the available resources will be optimally utilised for this purpose.
Labour-intensive methods are being developed in the maintenance of buildings to ensure that the process can also assist to create much-needed decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods. The province will also ensure that infrastructure development contributes measurably to rural development and the rehabilitation of rural towns. The provincial department of public works is developing plans to support the development of the rural village of Muyexe in Giyani, which has been identified as a pilot rural node by national government.
In conclusion, the province supports the budget, as tabled by the Minister, and commits itself to contributing to its implementation. I thank you. [Applause.]