Motlatsa Modulasetilo, [Deputy Chairperson ...]
... Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa Mr Motlanthe, Chairperson of the NCOP Mr Mahlangu, hon members, provincial premiers present here, hon Members of the provincial legislatures, ladies and gentlemen, it is only nine months since we presented the programme of action of the current administration of the people of Gauteng. During that presentation, the provincial administration committed to doing things differently, while being guided by the strategic priorities of government. It was clear that to effectively drive the government programme to our people there was a need to realign the organisational structures and review the operation of government in such a way that they begin to assist us to achieve the set goals.
We said that we would work in a manner that would foster new ethics and promote a culture of hard work and respect for the people among public servants. Indeed, we have begun to make strides and there is already evidence that even in this short period we have made impressive progress in meeting the needs of our people in Gauteng.
We have now passed the planning stage and we are geared for implementation. This is the year of action and indeed the year of working together to speed up the delivery of services to our people. We are mindful of the fact that we would not be able to stay on course and achieve that which we set to attain if it were not for the strong partnership and unequivocal support we enjoyed from the masses of our people.
In February 2010, we again presented our programme of action to be implemented in the course of this year in pursuit of our five-year strategic goals. In line with the national government's approach, the emphasis and focus of our activities will be on outcomes. All our energies will be channelled towards what our people need and not what we think they need.
Our programme is about what we will be doing towards fulfilling our unequivocal commitment to an improved quality of basic education; a long and healthy life for all people; safety and security for all; economic growth that translates into decent work and improved living standards; vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities with food security for all; infrastructure development and sustainable human settlements; and a responsive, accountable, efficient and effective local government.
We have, in the first financial year of our term of office, placed emphasis on effective planning and reprioritisation to deliver on our mandate for the five-year term of office. This has included a process of ensuring the appropriate allocation of resources in areas where they are needed most, in line with our priorities.
The budget speech by our MEC for finance has also demonstrated our seriousness about this matter. In accounting to the legislature at national and provincial level, as the democratically elected representatives of our people, we remain committed to present to this House our quarterly report on our performance. This will also serve to ensure that we account to the people of Gauteng, who will assess our performance and the extent to which we have addressed their needs in line with our commitment. This includes taking a deliberate decision to ensure that we strike an appropriate balance between the imperatives of delivering to our people and effectively managing our budget.
We have introduced a series of measures which have been announced to improve financial management and tighten the control where necessary. We have reviewed the delegation of powers and functions, including those of hospital chief executive officers in relation to procurement, with a view to improving service delivery to our people. We will further improve our efficiency through the review of agencies and service delivery models based on the identification and resolution of systematic problems.
As a new administration, we are not doing old things in the same way. We are not putting new wine in old bottles. Our vision for the province, supported by our programme of action, clearly demonstrates our commitment to improving our people's lives.
Education is an Apex Priority. Providing high-quality education to our people, especially children, will lay a solid foundation to ensure a better future for all. Our vision is to ensure that every learner does well at school and leaves an institution with the knowledge, skills and qualifications that will give them the best chances of success in adult life. We have done a thorough assessment of the education situation and we know what needs to be done to improve the quality of education. Our intervention will start at the foundation stage of education to ensure that our children are well prepared and developed to succeed in the later stages of their education.
Motlatsa Poresidente wa rona o bontshitse gore go botlhokwa jang go simolola kwa tlase gore fa ba ya go dira mophato wa marema tlou ba bo ba tlhaloganya. Go nne bonolo mo go bona gore ba tle ba kgone go tswelela pele ka dithuto. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Our Deputy President has shown the importance of starting at an early stage so that they can fully understand when they are in matric. It will be easy for them to further their studies.]
In working towards the goal of achieving a long and healthy life for all, we will focus on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our health care system, providing primary health care services in poor communities, reducing mortality rates and stepping up the fight against HIV/Aids and TB.
We have heard concerns raised by our people on the difficulties they encounter in accessing our hospitals and other health institutions, and we are taking concrete steps to address these, including eliminating the long queues that we find in some of our facilities.
On poverty alleviation, to provide immediate relief to thousands of people who are currently unemployed, we shall, in the coming year, launch a massive community work programme in the poorest wards in our province. This will provide a critical employment safety net for our people. Through these programmes we'll provide each household in the poorest communities with a job for 100 days. The Expanded Public Works Programme is one of the interventions that we shall continue to pursue, since it has proven to be effective in alleviating the pressure of unemployment and poverty.
The current phase of the Expanded Public Works Programme focuses on skills development. As we are aware, Gauteng is the hub of the Fifa Soccer World Cup, with most events, including the opening match and the final, scheduled to be staged in the province. A successful Fifa Soccer World Cup therefore largely rests on our shoulders.
When we agreed to make available our country and its facilities for the staging of the Fifa Soccer World Cup, we understood very well the responsibility that came with that undertaking. For us failure is not an option. We have worked very hard, together with national government and municipalities, especially the host cities, to ensure that all match venues and supporting infrastructure are ready. All of these facilities and infrastructure will be ready for us to host the most exciting Fifa Soccer World Cup. Soccer City, which will host both the opening match and the final ...