Chairperson, I would like to make some introductory remarks just to say that it is a real honour for me to be speaking in the NCOP. I fought long and hard for the struggle to be here. [Applause.]
Gauteng is the most industrialised province in this country and contributes at least 39% of the GDP. Being industrialised, the generation of waste is greatest in our province of all provinces. We are accordingly extremely enthusiastic about the national waste management strategy and were encouraged by the recently released White Paper. We look forward to the regulations mentioned by the Deputy Minister. We wish great strength to the elbows of the department.
There is much criticism out there of this ANC-led Government, and much praise, praise for the way in which we have formulated plans, strategies and White Papers. Here we have the best minds in the world, creative thinkers, people experienced in the ways of the world. The question and problem we are now faced with in the second five years of government is simply how to implement these wonderful plans. The critics are waiting for us to fail, but they will wait in vain.
The Gauteng provincial government is committed to implementing the national waste management strategy in order to make a decisive difference to the lives of ordinary people in our province. People should not have to live near rubbish heaps where they are exposed to the effluent of mining and industrial operations. We see the enforcement of environmental protection regulations as a prime priority of the province. We are aware of who the polluters are and are determined to make them pay for the disaster they are creating. With regard to medical waste, which is a major problem when children playing in the vicinity of household rubbish dumps are found with used syringes and other immensely dangerous medical waste, the Gauteng provincial government has embarked on a process of education and consultation which will arrive at a sustainable medical waste management system. We are confident that the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism will take the role as lead agent on pollution management with dedication and verve, and will co-ordinate other departments in the drive for a clean and safe world for ourselves, our children and grandchildren.
When it comes to tourism, we are proud to acknowledge that the Gauteng Tourism Authority, established in terms of our provincial legislation, has been launched. Recently passed regulations will allow for the registration and levying of all accommodation facilities, and an estimated R2,5 million will be raised. We are well on track with sophisticated computer software to undertake the registration and marketing of all tourism facilities, from the lowliest community tourist guide to the largest hotel.
We acknowledge that Gauteng does not have the oceans, mountains and major wilderness areas of other provinces. So we see ourselves as a conference and convention destination, with opportunities for emerging operators in day tours to interesting places. Soweto, for instance, is the 10th most visited destination in South Africa. Also, tourists are interested in our struggle for liberation, and places of interest such as Alexandra township, where ex-President Mandela stayed when he first came to Johannesburg, and the homes of the likes of Alfred Nzo, Wally Serote and many others from our liberation struggle whose roots are in Alexandra, will become part of our tourist product. We also boast, as has been mentioned, a World Heritage site known as the Cradle of Humankind.
However, before Alexandra and other townships and, indeed, the country as a whole can become a serious mass tourist destination, there is much that must be cleaned up. I refer not only to waste management and plastic bags, which are the challenges I have already mentioned, but also to tourism safety, to be achieved in conjunction with the SA Police Service and, more importantly, the challenge of beginning to turn around the perceptions which people hold about South Africa, and Gauteng in particular, as a dangerous place to come to. Gauteng is no more dangerous than London, Rome or New York for tourists.
The price of the rand in relation to the dollar and the pound sterling certainly makes our country an attractive destination, even for budget tourists and backpackers. However, we do call on the private sector to avoid the temptation of greed, and to set their prices at a level which is also accessible for local tourists, and, hence, encourage the overall growth of the industry. What we and Government need to do now is to create an industry that is coherent, service-oriented, clean and bright. [Applause.]