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Thank you Master of Ceremonies.

Honourable Mayor Busi Modisakeng,
My colleague MEC for Social Services and Population Development ,Ms Angie Motshekga,
Honourable Councillors,
Leaders and members of the community,
Esteemed Guests,
Members of the Media,
Comrades and Friends,

Good day to you and thank you very much for inviting me to this special occasion.

I am honoured to be in your midst this morning and to share in the joy of the launch of the Ingqayizivele Development Projects. It fills my heart with pride and a deep sense of achievement that the community of Impumelelo with the help of Government has made their dream come true. I congratulate the entire community of Impumelelo on your initiative; creativity and hard work for making this project a reality. You have demonstrated that with relentless determination and the will to succeed we can make a difference in shaping our destinies. That is because we all have a burning desire to achieve a richer life and a better community. Today we salute your stunning achievements and wish you well for an even better future.

This ANC-led provincial government through the Department of Transport and Public Works is involved in the implementation of several projects of this nature. Throughout the length and breath of Gauteng, construction is underway of projects such as schools, crèches, libraries, clinics, playgrounds and multi-purpose centres among other things. These projects are part of the Department's Community-Based Public Works Programme, which is a key strategy of government to encompass within a single project the tasks of job creation, capacity building and skills development. Thorough consultation takes place with the communities from the planning stages right through to the stage of implementation. During the implementation stage, communities have full control of project funds, with the support and advice from my department and various consulting organisations.

Master of Ceremonies, I would like to take this opportunity to stress the importance of co-operative governance and smart partnerships as illustrated with this project. We cannot hope to be successful working individually, but by combining our efforts, maximum results can be attained. Only through co-operative partnerships between the public and private sectors and between the different tiers of government can we meet the ever-increasing needs and aspirations of our people for economic growth and job creation, for prosperity and for secure living. My role and that of government is to facilitate this partnership and to create an environment for the successful pooling of efforts for the benefit of everyone. Thus as proud citizens of this SMART province, we must roll up our sleeves in partnership for accelerated change.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the development projects envisaged include: community garden and poultry farming, welding, brick making and brick laying, baking, sewing/knitting, carpentry, leather work/upholstery and household manufacturing. These are a concrete expression of government's sense of responsibility to attend to the needs of the poorest of the poor in this province, indeed in the country as a whole. We take pride in the fulfilment of our determination to empower communities, to build much-needed infrastructure, to alleviate unemployment as well as provide training.

Comrades, we are confidant that these development projects along with other government programmes and initiatives will lay a solid foundation for a better quality of life for all our people. I am convinced that the partnership that has developed between the community of Impumelelo and government at local, provincial and national level will continue to grow to greater heights. Your co-operation symbolises the genuine partnership and commitment that is required in this province.

Master of ceremonies, the building has begun. Let us continue working together to fight unemployment, crime and poverty. Let us continue working together for a better future for all. Together we can speed up the pace of change!

Thank you for your attention.

Issued by Transport, Gauteng

23 March 2001