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President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, will visit the Province of the Eastern Cape for three days at the end of this week. Announcing the visit in Bisho today, Premier Makhenkesi Stofile said the President arrives in the Province on 12 October 2001 as part of the government imbizo programme of interactive governance. It is conducted to engage people on issues of service delivery and development.

The programme of breaking the distance and other imaginary barriers between government and the people was started in the Eastern Cape as far back as 1994. It was subsequently intensified and progressively improved from 1997 to date, to be monthly and incorporate administrative heads.

Informed by these experiences and the challenges of ensuring that people are part and parcel of the governance of the country, the national Cabinet endorsed the imbizo as a fundamental paradigm shift in governance. As logistical and other related arrangements were being sorted out to ensure a wholly integrated imbizo programme of all the spheres of government, the President decided to lead with his provincial visits. He began with a visit to the Northern Province in April 2001. Premier Stofile said: "it could not have been more fitting to identify the Province of the Eastern Cape as his second destination, given the dire need for greater and substantive intervention to overcome huge development backlogs of the province." He also highlighted that similarities between the Eastern Cape and Northern Provinces are well known. Both are mainly rural and are faced with abject poverty.

The Presidential visit is expected to give greater impetus to government efforts of addressing problems related and caused by a well-designed and systematic programme of deprivation that was a cornerstone of the successive repressive regimes of our past.

Communities and stakeholders will have an opportunity to raise concerns and issues that impact their efforts to improve their lives during his visits to Amatole, OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo and Chris Hani District Municipalities as well as the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area.

The programme essentially is about the President listening to the people and enhancing government's capacity to "scratch where it itches most" or to intervene decisively where it is most needed. This approach is informed by the government's development communication agenda that is premised on the promotion of humanising dialogue with the people and on the maximisation of community participation in the development of the people, the province and the country. The aim in brief is to ensure national unity in action for change.

The President's visit begins with the ZK Mathews Lecture at Fort Hare University. It proceeds to include viewing of some development projects, meeting of key stakeholders and launch of some flagship development projects. These projects include the launch of a multi-purpose community centre in Sterkspruit and the celebration of the 7 millionth person to get access to clean and running water in Qhaka administrative area in Port St Johns.

This historic visit of President Mbeki is expected to also register the overall government's resolve to work in unison with all stakeholders, including the media, to overcome some of the seemingly insurmountable and daunting challenges of our times, poverty and underdevelopment.

Contact:

Manelisi Wolela at 082-4147768 / 040-6392070
Harold Maloka at 082 450 7304

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape, 9 October 2001