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Master of Ceremonies
Premier of Mpumalanga, Mr NJ Mahlangu
The Mpumalanga MEC for Public Works Roads and Transport, Mr JS Mabona
The Mayor of Eastvaal District Municipality, Mrs PE Mdluli
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Public Works selected the Daggakraal cluster of Community Based Public Works projects as a special venue to visit during government's national Imbizo Focus Week.

Within this week, various national Ministers, Provincial MECs, local Mayors and Councillors are visiting communities throughout South Africa. In our new style of interactive governance and communication, we utilise these Imbizo Focus Weeks as a special focus period to promote active involvement and participation of the public in government's programme implementation, through direct interaction on the ground.

The theme around which we are working is "Intergovernmental Cooperation towards Local Delivery". It builds on President Mbeki's call to unite in action for change.

It is important that we know that the principles of co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations are aptly enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996). Chapter 3 Section 40(1) acknowledges "the government is constituted as national, provincial and local spheres of government which are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated". Section 41 (1c) further notes that all spheres and organs of state within each sphere must provide effective, transparent, accountable and coherent government for the Republic as a whole. Furthermore, section 41 (1h) notes that all spheres of government must co-operate with one another in mutual trust and good faith by

(i) Fostering friendly relations;
(ii) Assisting and supporting one another
(iii) Informing one another of, and consulting one another on matters of common interest.

Through strategies of democratic principle, formulated by government and civil society, such as the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy, and including the Community Based Public Works Programme, government is ensuring that public and private sector address neglected development in rural areas in a joint and coherent fashion.

The Department of Public Works has been running the Community Based Public Works Programme (Ilima/Letsema) in rural areas as a poverty alleviation programme since 1995. It focuses on job creation, training and the creation of much-needed local infrastructure and assets to revive economic activity from within rural communities. In addition it has as an objective to support local service delivery and administrative institutions. Sustainability of these projects within the CBPWP is enhanced by ensuring that utilisation, management, further development and growth are supported by sister national government departments such as Agriculture, Land Affairs, Water Affairs and Forestry, Government Communication and Information Systems. Provincial departments are involved in service delivery and coordination and the private sector is encouraged to further build on potential by investment. Also municipalities and local leaders are involved on all projects.

Assessed by the International Labour Organisation and CASE as the best programme of its kind in 30 developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, we nevertheless brought refinement and extension to the CBPWP. Building on the clustered approach of providing development infrastructure and community assets in a "local activity hub," we have successfully incorporated the Multi-Purpose Community Centres as one stop access facilities to social services and Community Production Centres as concentrated development points, rehabilitating mostly existing agricultural infrastructure for increased suitable produce on a larger scale, with value adding taking place at the point of production before the produce is marketed.

As a programme that starts its implementation, right from the needs assessment and project proposal phase, in working with the community, the CBPWP is ideally suited to imbizo. During its implementation, national, provincial and local government are working together on various aspects and phases. This ensures that Integrated Development Plans as well as other priorities and linkages are accounted for in the delivery of development infrastructure at a local level in true intergovernmental cooperation.

At Daggakraal seven projects were delivered for a total budget of just more than R5, 1 million. These comprise:

* Market stalls and a taxi rank - recently completed
* A vegetable garden - one structure with an administration and store facility
* Trade centre - will soon be operative
* Siyaphumelela crèche - 2 classrooms, a storeroom and kitchen, currently utilised by 56 children from the local community
* Daggakraal community hall - refurbished, adding 2 new offices that are utilised as a pension pay-point
* Ethembeni Primary School - refurbished 18 and built three new classrooms
* Nalithuba High School - three additional classrooms.

Almost 600 local people were employed on these projects and close on 200 of them received training. The community at Daggakraal now has the facilities they most needed to kick-start local socio-economic development, but they also have people trained to maintain the structures as well as to manage and grow, basing activities from these premises.

I stress once more - this is the result of co-operative governance, and the sustainability and further development of these facilities now rest with the community and the municipality - take us all forward in this country!

Issued by Ministry of Public Works

6 October 2001