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Honourable Speaker
Honourable members of the Executive Council
Ladies and Gentlemen

Over the past year, our provincial government has moved from a sound strategic direction to give effect and meaning to the socio-economic transformation of our province.

* We have been able to transform our government machinery to be responsive, effective and efficient in meeting the demands of all our people.

* We have laid a firm foundation to build a more caring and people-centred government that is responsive to the needs of our people.

* As elected representatives of our people of our country, from all the parties, we have risen above narrow party political differences to make our democracy work.

Honourable Speaker,

We were elected and mandated to implement policies and programmes that would lead to the overall improvement in the quality of life of our citizens.

Working together with the community and the private sector we need to ensure that the economy grows at higher rates, creates new jobs, and continues to develop into a modern and an internationally competitive economy.

The overwhelming mandate we received in 1994 and 1999 respectively indicates our people's confidence in our ability to lead the process of change and steer our country to its destiny.

Having placed us in this position of responsibility and leadership. We have seen the following:
* the transformation process has gathered momentum.
* it has started to impact quantitatively on ordinary people's lives in the provision of basic services such as, health services, houses, social welfare, education and building patriotism.
* rural and urban areas of the different regions in our province have benefited enormously from social upliftment programmes.

We have seen major strides being made in many socio-economic areas in the regions and in the lives of our people. We have witnessed a beehive of activity as the construction of roads, upgrading of clinics & hospitals, building of houses, provision of electricity and clean water have completely changed the face of the province.

Our government has shown deep commitment in a concerted effort to serve our people and has initiated a vast process of quantitative change to improve the quality of life of ordinary South Africans.

Key highlights of the year:
* The provincial government has held a successful provincial conference on racism; sexism and xenophobia, which preceded the United Nations conference that took place in Durban. We firmly committed ourselves to fight all forms of racism wherever it manifests itself.
* The province has strengthened ties with the People's Republic of China, which is a large and consistently developing economy, to attract investment to the province.
* A provincial conference on the rights of children was held to create a safer haven for children.
* The transformation of local government is on track and the IDP processes are well advanced

I am inspired by the oversight visits which the provincial legislature conducted throughout the province to inform our people more about the workings of the legislature and how government functions. That process gave us the opportunity to hear from our people whether the public service in our province operated within the framework of and abided in our constitution which governs the public service.

The measure for success of any community programme is the extent to which the community is involved in the development aspects of their lives.

Talking to our people everywhere we go as the Executive Council and hearing their concerns, we have realised that while they applaud the direction in which we are going, they want us to move with the greatest speed and as profoundly as we possibly can.

The province has also felt the devastating effects that HIV/AIDS has on our society. The death and suffering it causes to those who have been affected and infected and the resultant effect on kids and family members who lost their loved ones are felt all over the country.
* We have established HIV/AIDS Councils throughout the province as a direct response to deal with this scourge in our local areas.
* We need to intensify the campaign on HIV/AIDS through educational and intervention programmes
* We urge our society to stand up and be counted in the fight against the brutal abuse and rape of women and children. We must stem the tide against all such perpetrators of this terrible crime.
* The biggest hope for 2002 is that it will be a year in which all South Africans can build on the positive developments that have occurred in the past 12 months.

I am confident that we will allow ourselves to be encouraged by our successes during the course of this year, so that we can rise to the challenges that the New Year presents to us, particularly for the people of our continent, and come out with an even stronger year of hope for 2002.

Honourable Speaker,

Let me pay a special tribute to the honourable members professor Karel Boshoff and Mr. Jan Brazelle who will soon be leaving this House. It was very rewarding for us to have had these members in our midst to continue to play an active and important role in the unfolding of our democratic process in our country.

This time of the year is universally acknowledged as a time of love, peace and goodwill. It brings with it a promise of a better life for all our people. Our joint actions are indeed aimed at making the country and province in particular a better place for all to live in.

May this festive season be a time to reach out to each other and:
* build on the spirit of reconciliation,
* use it as a time to renew our commitment to build a better life for all South Africans.

Let's have peace and joy reign in our hearts.

We congratulate all our people for fully participating with interest and enthusiasm in the complex processes of transformation and nation building, working together will make our province better.

I would like to wish all the honourable members a peaceful festive season and thank you for your valued support and co-operation this year, - it ensured that we were able to discharge our work with the appropriate commitment and dedication.

In conclusion, my message to those that will be travelling is that speed kills, arrive alive and don't drink and drive.

I thank you

Issued by Office of the Premier, Northern Cape

23 November 2001