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Some time ago, My Executive Council, took the decision to engage in an intensive programme to interact with the different communities of the Free State. I am privileged to host you all this afternoon at this luncheon during this the occasion of the Exco Meets the People Campaign.

The Exco campaign is aimed at bringing government closer to the people in line with the principles of Batho Pele. Our President, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, has encouraged us to work towards effective, transparent and cooperative government that is inclusive and that ensures efficient service delivery. I am particularly pleased that this month's campaign coincides with the Imbizo Focus Week.

Since this month has been earmarked as Child Rights Month, departments in the Provincial Government will engage in intensive programmes to promote awareness on children's rights and other related issues. The Department of Social Development and the Department of home Affairs in the province are working vigorously to ensure that a significant number of children who qualify for child support grants are registered this month. I am confident that this process will continue beyond the month of October.

Currently there are 120 491 children receiving this grant in the Free State. Our target is to reach 300 000 by 2005. we therefore call upon every one of us to help us identify these poor souls who are supposed to receive the grant. I am also pleased to announce that the ANC policy conference resolved last week that the child grant will be extended to children up to age of 14. We also wish to make it known that in our endeavor to push back the frontiers of poverty, soon rather than latter the feeding scheme will be extended to high schools.

The Exco Meets the People campaign has taken us across the five districts of our province. We have been able to visit different towns in these districts.

Through this campaign Members of the Executive Council have been able to gather first hand the problems, comments and concerns that people have regarding their respective departments. The campaign has provided us as leaders with a platform to give clarity on various issues related to government and to respond to some of the queries raised by the public.

The comments, questions and concerns that we have received through this campaign have enabled us to be more considerate and strategic when planning on socio-economic development issues.

The success of this campaign in the past also contributed towards the drafting of the Free State Development Plan (FSDP).

This three-year plan identifies five key areas that the Provincial Government will focus on in order to better the lives of all the people of the Free State, these areas are:

* Economic development and job creation
* Providing sustainable infrastructure development
* Investing in people development
* Ensuring a safe and secure environment, and
* Effective co-operative governance.

We have already started promoting the FSDP amongst different stakeholders. It is imperative that the community itself becomes involved in the implementation of this plan through the various projects and programmes outlined in the Development Plan.

Various municipalities have already submitted the Integrated Development Plans that will help provincial government to direct resources and infrastructure to critical areas of our province.

Last week I presented a comprehensive service delivery report for the period 1999 - 2002. I can say, without a doubt, that despite various setbacks, posed by resources and logistics, we have been able to achieve some of the targets we had set for ourselves as Government for the said period.

It is important to acknowledge that steady progress is being made in respect of land reform in this area. I can safely announce that before the end of the year, 34 000 hectors of land will be hand over at Oppermansgrond. We are making progress in this regard and we are happy about that.

I am confident that with the necessary support structures and strategic partnerships we will be able to realise the objectives of the Free State Development Plan and therefore ensure sustainable development for all our people.

One of our major concerns though is the new trend of importing illegal immigrants as farm workers. This undermines our fight against unemployment, which is at 35% in this area. We also would like to condemn farm attacks. We have to do everything in our power to protect our farmers - together we feed the nation. Let us work together in order to ensure crime prevention, poverty eradication, and reduction in occurrence of HIV/AIDS and the moral regeneration of our society.

I thank you.

Issued by the Office of the Premier, Free State