Hon Deputy Speaker, the topic of my statement is rural communities, benefitting from the merger of Metsweding District Municipality with Tshwane metropolitan area.
The ANC commends the Gauteng ANC-led government for introducing the global city region, in terms of which rural agricultural municipal areas that have little capacity are disestablished and thereafter merged with metropolitan areas.
Through the 18 May 2011 local government elections the Metsweding region, which includes the small local municipalities of Kungwini, that is Bronkhorstspruit and Ekangala, and Nokeng Tsa Taemane, Cullinan and Raeton, has collapsed and is now part of the new Greater Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
With the incorporation of Metsweding District Municipality in it, Tshwane now covers a massive geographical area of 6 368 km, and has a population of 2,5 million people, most of whom are black South Africans. This makes Tshwane the largest municipal area on the African continent, and the third largest municipal area in the whole world, after New York and Tokyo.
Tshwane has set aside R1,5 billion over the next three years to eradicate its informal settlements. With its Sokhulumi Rural Development Pilot Project a wall-to-wall concept, Tshwane will strengthen its agriculture, and in so doing benefit the rural communities of the former Metsweding Municipal area.
There is no need for farm dwellers to move to informal settlements to qualify for a Reconstruction and Development Programme, RDP, house. The City of Tshwane will deliver services to everyone. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]