[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

Mr Speaker:

The Province of KwaZulu-Natal has a new, strengthened and more widely-based government, which is, and must be committed to hard work and delivery. As we open the new year, we wish to focus on the status of our Province and of its Government, looking at the present situation and the work ahead.

This is a time to get back to work and down to work. For too long there has been political uncertainty in this Province because of the effects of the crossing of the floor legislation. I do not wish to use this opportunity to discuss this crossing of the floor legislation. Nor do I wish to use this occasion to comment on the many underhanded court intrigues and plots which are taking place to subvert the rule of democracy and bring about a new government in KwaZulu-Natal by means of subterfuge.

I am confident in the primacy that morality shall triumph. Those who are plotting and conspiring in the dark to undermine my government will, in the end, be defeated. Morality shall overcome power and trickery. My government shall stand and shall survive the attempts made to undermine it. We are here to stay and we are here to govern not for our sake but for the sake of democracy in South Africa.

I wish to leave political controversies and conflicts behind us. I want us to look ahead to a future in this province in which we focus exclusively on the work, which our people in this Province expect us to perform as their representatives and their government.

We have led the government of this province since 1999 and are justifiably proud of what we have achieved in spite of the many constraints we have encountered. Some of those constraints we can ameliorate while others are not within our control. We have consistently attempted to remove or ameliorate the constraints within our control. We need the support of this House to move further in this direction.

Good governance is a prerequisite to sound economic development and of effective delivery. Without it no government can deliver, as it is dramatically shown just beyond our national borders.

Over the past years we have set objectives and targets for our Provincial Government, key among which have been the eradication of poverty, the strengthening of governance to ensure integrated planning and effective service delivery and the war against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Notwithstanding the strength of our commitment, many matters have been engulfed in the recent turbulent political events, epidemics, instability and unscrupulous political tactics have threatened to steer us away from our resolve. But let us not forget that we are at war against the enemies of our people and we shall now resume with even greater impetus towards our fight against HIV/AIDS, poverty, unemployment and crime.

We can stand proud that we have defended the will of the people and the consolidation of democracy in our country. Today we have a much stronger government than we had six months ago, having been joined by a new like-minded coalition partner, which shares our vision and direction. We can never accept again that coalition partners in this Province work to undermine one another and the Premier. The time has come to work together abandoning ulterior agendas and with the commitment of securing the success of our Government rather than banking on its possible shortcomings. Only in this fashion the interest of KwaZulu-Natal will be properly served.

We now have a government, which is more focused. A government, which represents the political landscape of the province. A government, which is geared to accelerate service delivery. I am proud to be the Premier and Leader of this Government.

The year 2003 marks the year of further enhancement of delivery where we consolidate our achievements and focus our energies on addressing those areas that are key to the total socio-economic emancipation of the poor.

Mr Speaker:

It is well known that in 2002 my Government identified six priorities to provide a focal point to enhance service delivery, and leapfrog development. These were:

* the eradication of poverty and inequality;
* the strengthening of governance;
* addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS and managing its spread;
* re-engineering service delivery in government;
* investing in infrastructure; and
* human capability development.

I am happy to report that in 2002 my Government has ensured that strategic plans and programmes of departments, including their budgets, reflect these priorities. Before we report on how far we have gone about implementing our priority areas, we must reflect again on why these priorities were set.

State of the Economy

To fully understand the rationale of our past, present and future programmes, it is incumbent on us to reflect on the challenges facing South Africa as a whole as well as the KwaZulu-Natal Province. As we all know, the new political dispensation inherited an economy that was in serious crisis, a society that was riddled with inequality, poverty, violence, discrimination and highly inefficient government structures. Addressing these issues called for a skilled balancing act; holding the two horns of the dilemma and the associated tension. Some have presented this tension in terms of wealth versus poverty; capital versus labour; privatisation versus socialisation; growth versus redistribution; globalisation versus protection; and individual liberty versus equality and equity.

There has been substantial progress in dealing with the economic, social and political challenges facing South Africa and our province. Despite these successes the future of our country and of this province is paradoxical, as it is as bright as it is bleak. Some are moving forward towards prosperity while the majority is facing crushing poverty, unemployment, crime and HIV/AIDS. The South African economy can be summarised as one that has been depressed, with sluggish growth, which in most cases has been below or at par with the population growth rate. The growth that has been achieved has not generated significant employment, nor has it alleviated poverty and underdevelopment in rural areas. Indeed, such growth has been achieved under conditions of increasing migration of the majority of the people, increasing unemployment, increasing inequality, ineffective and confused HIV/AIDS policies and rising crime.

Despite the economic downturn across the globe, the South African economy has demonstrated some resilience. President Thabo Mbeki indicated in his State of the Nation Address that the projected growth rate of the South African economy for 2003 is estimated at 3,1 % as against a projected growth rate of only 1,7% in the global economy for the same period.

In his address, the President highlighted that the South African economy has had consecutive years of positive growth. Gross fixed capital formation grew by some 8% during 2002. The growth in the manufacturing sector grew by 5,4 %, which was the fastest growth rate for the sector since 1995. Both household consumption expenditure and disposable income grew at rates exceeding 3% during 2002.

Of grave concern, however, is the unacceptable high rate of unemployment that persists, particularly in the age group 15 to 29 years. Using the extended definition of unemployment, unemployment was as high as 40,9% at the beginning of last year. KwaZulu-Natal has the second highest rate of unemployment of all the Provinces, amounting to 34,2%. Unemployment in the age category 15 to 29 years is of particular concern since it is this age group, which is highly associated with both HIV/AIDS infection and criminality.

Our currency has appreciated significantly in value against other major world currencies. It was able to wrest back the unacceptably high losses it suffered during 2001 and recorded its first annual gain against the US dollar in 15 years.

Against the backdrop of the South African economy, the economy of KwaZulu-Natal is performing particularly well. During 2001 our growth rate exceeded the national growth rate, growing by 3,6% as opposed to the 2,8% for the whole of South Africa. During 2002 KwaZulu-Natal made the second highest contribution towards the national gross domestic product, contributing 15,5%.

My Government's Response to the Challenges of Our Times

Notwithstanding the challenges we face, our Province has a number of economic opportunities that we should exploit fully, including: tourism and transport, agriculture and agro-processing.

The present challenges also turn around effective land utilisation, access to land by the majority, the need for reviving clothing, foot wear and textile to exploit opportunities provided by the United States Africa Growth Opportunity Act which provides privileged access of our products to the vast US markets. Our willingness to meet the existing challenges must also extend to the service industry including information and communication technology, skills and SMME development, infrastructure, housing and community development in both rural and urban areas as well as the mining and industry.

Mr. Speaker:

My State of the Province Address last year expressed a message of hope for stability and progress in our Province. Exactly a year later in 2003, we can acknowledge that the past year has been a year of tangible economical deliverables for South Africa as a whole, and for the Province of KwaZulu-Natal in particular.

Our effort to give impetus to sustainable economic growth is being executed through the review of our Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. The review process is underway, and this process is led by MEXCO supported by an interdepartmental task team driven jointly by the Office of the Premier and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, in consultation with other stakeholders. The final product will be delivered to the people of KwaZulu-Natal by the end of 2003.

The Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs has supported the adoption of a new Land Use Management System (LUMS) to include previously disadvantaged areas. The Town and Regional Planning Commission have held workshops on the LUMS guidelines that were developed. Substantial progress has been made on three LUMS pilot projects. The focus for 2003/04 will be on the finalisation of a LUMS Provincial Implementation Plan.

The Department of Economic Development and Tourism has managed to win the full support of national Government for the early relocation of the Durban International Airport to La Mercy, thereby removing the cloud of doubt that has been hanging over this project for many years. This department has further strengthened the Dube Trade Port Project, incorporating the King Shaka International Airport, thus making it an economic and logistics hub that will be the first of its kind in Africa, to rival hubs such as Dubai and Shenzen. The process of finalising the structure and establishment of the project is now being processed through a Public Private Partnership. Our Province has committed R50m per annum over five years to this project.

Since 2001, we have seen local business invest over R15 billion in new investment into the province. Exports are on the increase in our key economic sectors with the prospects for even greater achievements through the Toyota expansion, the growth in Aluminium production and the textile sector.

Small, Medium and Macro Enterprise

We have paid special attention to provide support for Small, Medium and Macro Enterprise (SMME) development. This support has focussed on three key areas:

Firstly we have focussed on the problem of lack of access to capital, and in this regard, in-depth discussions with the commercial banks continue. With Ithala, we have started a small Black Economic Empowerment Fund that we hope to grow into a useful instrument for Black Economic Empowerment in future.

Secondly, we have focused on support for the development of SMME's in targeted sectors, including the arts and crafts industry, furniture sector and leather and footwear industry, through research, training and cluster development projects.

Thirdly, we have strengthened the Government-sponsored support services to small businesses.

Furthermore, the provincial government is working more closely with local government to stimulate local economic growth via municipal IDPs, through the facilitation of the Department of Traditional & Local Government Affairs. Through local economic development programmes being implemented on a cluster basis, sustainable economic opportunities are being identified and harnessed across the province.

Provincial Fiscal Allocation

For the financial year 2002/3 the total provincial budget was R27.1 billion: Most of the budget was allocated to address the provincial priorities. For example: R1,7 billion has been allocated to various programmes to address the impact of HIV/AIDS in the province, while R368.4 million was spent to enhance service delivery in the province.

Moreover, R5,1 billion was allocated to provide hospital and clinical services, primary health care services and ambulance services and R9.5 billion on pre-primary/primary and secondary education to address the imbalances in the distribution of educational resources, including teachers, physical facilities, learner support materials and equipment

R6.8 billion was allocated to provide a variety of social security grants to the citizens of the province. R1,7 billion was allocated to provide welfare support to HIV/AIDS victims. R1,6 billion was invested in infrastructure' development. Of this figure, an amount of R703.6 million was spent on road construction and maintenance, while R550.5 million was spent on physical infrastructure in the health sector to upgrade, maintain and provide new facilities.

My government made a further allocation of R123 million to deal with the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT).

Eradication of Poverty and Inequality

Preparatory work for the development of a provincial poverty reduction strategy has been completed. Preliminary reports on poverty in the province and current poverty reduction programmes have been compiled. A draft framework on poverty and inequality reduction has been produced. All of these documents will serve as basic resource documents to the consultants who have been appointed to assist with the drafting of the poverty reduction strategy. The outputs of the activities of the consultants will be:

* an updated report on the current status of poverty in KwaZulu-Natal
* a report on the appropriateness of current public sector responses to poverty
* a report on recommended provincial strategies for poverty and inequality reduction
* recommendations for the development of a poverty monitoring system including uniform tools for monitoring and evaluating poverty programmes

The United Nations Development Programme will be providing technical assistance from the point of view of helping to shape the strategy drawing on acknowledged best practice. They will also be playing a major role in capacitating a poverty monitoring system and setting up a capacitation programme for the Managers of Poverty Reduction Programmes in the various provincial departments.

It is envisaged that the strategy will be in place by the third quarter of this year, which will enable us to plan a more comprehensive, and focused response to poverty in the next financial year.

The process of developing the strategy will be driven by an Interdepartmental Task Team chaired by my department and will require co-operation and consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. The Poverty Reduction Strategy will be integrated into and form a key focus area for the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. In this way the reduction of poverty and inequality will go beyond poverty alleviation programmes and be firmly entrenched in the provincial macro-economic policy.

All departments are fulfilling a role in the alleviation of poverty and inequality to a greater or lesser extent as can be seen by the reports that follow.

The Department of Works has endeavoured to promote economic growth and, to reduce poverty through, among other initiatives, the creation of jobs.

One such initiative is the promotion of black empowerment through increasing the number of Small; Medium; Macro Enterprises from approximately 100 in 1999 to approximately 750 in 2002. Furthermore, as a means of assisting emerging contractors, this department, in partnership with the National Department of Labour, launched a R553 300 training programme for 180 contractors in the province aimed at capacity building, economic empowerment and life skills training.

The Department of Works sought to create employment in partnership with the community of uMsinga at Keats Drift by forming a co-operative specifically dealing with leatherwork. It is estimated that when this co-operative is fully operational it will offer jobs to more than 400 people. It has also established a Community Based Public Works programme, which offers approximately 1500 job opportunities to various communities. Women make up at least 50 percent of the total local labour employed on each project with emphasis on women who are single heads of households and have dependants. More resources must be allocated to this programme by the provincial government.

The bulk of our budget is dedicated to social development and the welfare of our citizens. In this regard, more than one of the major services of the Department of Social Welfare and Population Development is the payment of social grants and pensions. Improvements in the payment of these include processing of care dependency, child support and foster care grants within fourteen days. The department is also engaged in poor relief programmes such as the following:

The Department of Welfare and Population Development has also provided distress relief to 14 428 households with about 5 persons per household, and short-term food relief to 36 households with about 8 persons per household. It has also established a Social Development programme, which supports people right to food through assistance programmes promoting food security, income generating projects and skills development.

The Department of Welfare and Population Development has also engaged in implementing Flagship Programmes whose aim is to assist unemployed women with young children to escape the poverty trap through their engagement in social, economic and educational activities. This programme operates on an integrated approach and partnerships with the Departments of Works, Health, Education, Agriculture and Labour as well as businesses.

From the coordination of the concomitant efforts of these Departments, the war on poverty and unemployment is promoted by means of multi-pronged approaches of a Government dedicated to hard work and tangible results.

Mr Speaker:

The inequalities under which our people are struggling, result in many other problems including ill health and diseases. The Department of Health is at the forefront of combating them. Malaria and cholera are high on our priority list. The implementation of an effective Malaria Control Programme has resulted in a dramatic 76% reduction of this epidemic in the Province. The Province is justifiably proud of the fact that the Department of Health has been awarded not only the World Health Organisation (WHO) shield for the best malaria control programme in the southern hemisphere but also for the acknowledgement by the World Health Organisation of the best containment and best control case ever recorded for a cholera outbreak. We are saving lives.

The Department has also entered into a joint initiative programme with the SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service. The Red Cross Flying Health Outreach Programme has resulted in the increase of volunteer specialists by about 40%, thus strengthening daily volunteer services to rural hospitals, all at no cost to the Province.

For the past three years, the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs has been gearing itself to launch a programme of Unlocking Agricultural Potential, often termed the Green Revolution, which aims at virtually quadrupling the provincial overall agricultural production over the next 20 years. This year will see the Green Revolution moving beyond the planning phase into practical implementation in various spheres.

The Green Revolution, Mr Speaker, has three main elements. One is intensification of agricultural production. To this end, the Department has made a start with a R10 million Mechanisation Programme which will for the first time put tractors and modern farm machinery within the reach of previously disadvantaged farmers. The other is Land Reform, where the Department has already settled new farmers on 30 000 ha of former state land. The last is the Xoshindlala (Chase away hunger) Programme, a food security programme that has more than a thousand small food production projects running in various parts in the province.

The Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs has implemented an Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP) and the Urban Renewal Strategy (URS), which are aimed at addressing poverty and inequality. The Department of Traditional and Local Government have supported the Metro and District Councils responsible for the implementation of the Rural Development Programme and Urban Renewal Strategy in the establishment of appropriate capacity to ensure that tangible benefits reach communities without further delay.

The Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs continues to support the policy on the allocation of free basic services to the poor and indigent. To effectively implement this policy, 6 million Rand was provided for indigent support for basic municipal services. This has resulted in the development of policies and implementation at sixty percent of the municipalities within the Province.

Mr Speaker, at this point, I wish to express my gratitude to Ministers Inkosi NJ Ngubane and Dr Z L Mkhize for the role they played in the foot-and-mouth disease, which plagued our Province. In recognition of their contribution to the foot-and-mouth disease campaign Minister Narend Singh presented them with merit certificates at Didima Camp.

Strengthening of Governance

There is a fundamental principle that there exists a reciprocal synergy between good governance and development. The former underpins the latter, and vice versa, without which synergy and mutual reinforcement, growth and development in the Province can be seriously impeded. This fundamental principle therefore requires that more effort should be given to the integration of governance and development both in policy formulation and in practice.

When I took office as Premier of the province, one of the challenges that was facing our Government was the lack of integration of the planning and budgeting cycle, both at administrative and executive levels. In order to address this shortcoming, my Government approved a provincial planning cycle that aligns the planning, budgeting, monitoring, reporting and review processes within the annual financial cycle and improves co-ordination and interaction between the executive and administrative organs of government, both vertically and horizontally. This has injected fresh dynamism into the economy of KwaZulu-Natal.

Mr Speaker, you will recall that I made a call last year that we need a coherent and clear agenda for provincial governance and I did spell out clearly the tasks that had to be undertaken to achieve this. In this regard, I am happy to report that:

My Office has established a fully operational Directorate: Human Rights, which comprises the Office on the Status of the Disabled, the Office on the Status of Women, the Office on the Rights of the Child and the Youth Desk. The focus of these sub-directorates is to redress the inequalities and human rights issues that impede development of these groups in their communities. This Directorate, although, newly established, has successfully capacitated the institutional structures both at municipal and provincial level. It has also hosted the celebration of provincial events on human rights, women, disabled and youth. This was done to ensure mainstreaming of these issues, and to promote programmes to address inequalities in service delivery.

An Inter-Governmental Relations Unit is now fully functional in my office. My office is now geared to effectively co-ordinate inter-governmental development planning in our province.

Our province has made significant inroads in the international arena. We are determined as a province to prioritise international relations for the benefit of our citizens. The following are our achievements in this regard:

* Our Government gained international exposure through its participation at the Liege Trade Fair, in Belgium. This has already yielded fruits for our province with a R30 million grants received from the regional government of Flanders in Belgium to promote various agricultural development projects and innovations, including developing a computerized Agricultural Information System for the province.

* An amount of R200 million will be made available to the provincial government over the next three years through the Flemish Co-operative Development Programme in the areas of education, environment, agriculture, housing, economic development and local government. For the first year projects to the value of R17 million have recently been approved for capacity building in these areas.

* The Australian Aid programme (AUSAID), which is aimed at capacitating local government officials, has commenced and we are now reaping its benefits. A number of officials from the Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs have had the opportunity of being exposed to the Australian expertise in areas such as integrated planning and financial management models.

* The signing of the cooperation agreement between the Mayor of Shanghai and I, in August 2001, has established links between the province and the Shanghai commercial sectors and youth. My government has received an invitation to participate in the Shanghai International Children's Culture and Arts festival in July 2003. Mayors from our province have already visited the Peoples' Republic of China as a follow up to my visit. As a follow up to the signing of an agreement and the visit by the mayors from this province, the officials in my Office will be meeting with the officials from China with the view to discuss:

* progress on the initiatives to re-vitalise the KwaZulu-Natal Coal industry and the visit by the Shanxi Governor and his delegation;
* the bursary grant for 20 students from the provincial municipalities to study for their degrees in Computer Science;
* development of the Makhathini flats food-processing industry

* An Inter-Governmental dispute resolution workshop was conducted by my office and the Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs to capacitate the province and local government, to deal with conflicts within their areas of jurisdiction.

* Provincial Traditional Leadership and Local Government Relations

Mr Speaker, in my last year's State of the Province Address, I committed my Government to the strengthening of relations between the province, local government and traditional leadership and to establish a Provincial Inter-Governmental Forum (PROVTRADLOG). The need for such a forum in which all bodies governing the Province of KwaZulu-Natal cannot be over emphasised. It is imperative that provincial government, municipalities and traditional leadership meet to discuss matters of common concern and to ensure that service delivery in the province is provided in a coherent, integrated and coordinated manner. To this end, the Cabinet resolved on 7 February 2003 to establish a consultative forum by June 2003, that will enhance governance and service delivery and development. Against the background of traditional leadership institutions being organs of state and institutions at local level, as well as performing public functions at local level in terms of existing legislation, Cabinet resolved further that the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders should be included in the composition of PROVTRADLOG.

A discussion document on how to manage Provincial and Local Government Relations has been finalised.

An interdepartmental pilot project on the feasibility study of the rationalisation of pre- 1994 legislation assigned to our Province by the President in terms of the 1993 Constitution and of the KwaZulu-Natal legislation as well as determining their constitutionality was initiated in March, 2002. A report indicating findings and proposing a comprehensive process for the rationalisation of all KwaZulu-Natal legislation and its alignment with the 1996 Constitution and post 1994 policy frameworks was submitted to and approved by MEXCO in June 2002.

The rationalisation (i.e. the amendment, repeal enactment and re-enactment of assigned laws) of laws will be facilitated and coordinated in the Department of the Premier which in turn will report on the progress to MEXCO and where necessary to the Cabinet.

Each provincial department will be responsible for the rationalisation of laws within its sphere of responsibility. It is envisaged that the process will be completed at the end of 2004.

A Lead Advisor will be appointed and a panel of specialists under whose auspices the actual work will be done in the individual departments in compliance with the directives and time frames set by the Department of the Premier. It is anticipated that the exercise will commence in April 2003.

Mr Speaker, to promote sustainable economic development and to provide a viable service to the most needy communities, the Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs has made significant progress in preparation and implementation of the Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in all the 61 municipalities in the Province. The IDPs have been assessed and strategies are in place to ensure the implementation of the various projects identified in the IDPs.

This Department has also developed a programme known as the Management Assistance to capacitate those municipalities that are experiencing financial difficulties and/or struggling with their financial management. The focus of this programme is to assist municipalities to become financially viable and expand service delivery to the communities. This programme has been implemented at 31 percent of the municipalities and during the financial year 2003/04 we will ensure that it is fully implemented.

To further strengthen the capacity of traditional leadership, the Department of Traditional and Local Government in partnership with the University of Durban Westville, the University of Natal, Durban and the University of Zululand has prepared a module on Development Legislation and piloted it with 30 Amakhosi.

The Department of Health has aligned itself in terms of districts falling within the Demarcation Board's boundaries in that the Department is now working on 10: 1 districts. The Department is developing an action plan for the sequential stepwise devolution of Primary Health Care service to the municipalities depending on infrastructure and capacity. The Department also developed and implemented the Patient Rights Charter thus giving effect to a transformed health service and respecting the rights of all patients that it serves. It is necessary that all service delivery departments should align their boundaries with those of Local Government.

Mr Speaker, whilst the Provincial Government has achieved much in the area of governance, we cannot ignore the daunting challenges that haunt our communities in the eradication of criminality. The concerted efforts of dedicated policemen and women in the fight against crime as well as joint partnerships with various stakeholders such as the business sector must be applauded. We must condemn unreservedly the continuous murder of members of our police service.

Through the partnership approach on policing, the Provincial Department of Safety and Security has achieved a number of successes. The relationship between the SAPS and the Department of Safety and Security has improved significantly over the years. Furthermore, the Independent Complaints Directorate and the Department of Safety and Security co-operate on matters of oversight regarding complaints and police conduct.

The province has adopted a social crime prevention approach. This entails the development, consolidation, prioritisation and alignment of social crime prevention initiatives and activities. Obviously, this is in line with the national priorities.

We recognise the importance of local government in leading social crime prevention efforts. A major thrust is the inclusion of crime prevention elements within each local government Integrated Development Plan (IDP).

The reduction of crime is dependant on our ability to integrate, co-ordinate and strengthen service delivery between all relevant departments in the safety and security sphere. To achieve this, the Department of Safety and Security has provided training for the SAPS on community policing, strategic planning and crime prevention planning. This is intended to better equip and support the police in their efforts to enforce law and order in KwaZulu-Natal.

Managing the impact of HIV/AIDS

Mr Speaker, in my previous State of the Province Address, I concentrated on the burning issue of HIV/AIDS. I described the situation as being the equivalent of a war. I then rated the fight against HIV/AIDS as high on our agenda and therefore committed the province to a fight against HIV/AIDS. I advocated for the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs. In line with my commitment, the prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Programme, which commenced in June 2001 as a pilot project, was expanded in 2002. To date 49 hospitals and 33 clinics offer the service, which seeks to reduce the rate of HIV/AIDS transmission from pregnant mothers to their unborn babies. This has been facilitated by the fact that my government in this current financial year allocated a further R123 m to help in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). We have also extended this assistance to rape victims. Further, this province will be receiving free Nevirapine from Boehringer Ingelheim for the next years.

My government is determined to ensure the implementation of an integrated response to the scourge of HIV and AIDS. I have taken it upon myself to ensure that the Provincial HIV/AIDS Council is reactivated to address the challenges of managing HIV/AIDS and reducing its spread.

We as Government must continue to look for drastic and innovative solutions to this problem. Concerted efforts by departments are needed. I am happy to report that the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Population Development have jointly commenced a programme of one-stop centres to address the problem of HIV/AIDS. Seventeen such centres are located throughout the Province. These centres have:

* developed and implemented effective and affordable home/community based care support models.
* integrated poverty alleviation programmes in order to meet the overall basic needs of families with children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.
* built capacity on different levels of service provision.
* integrated a comprehensive care plan into the informal and formal health and social welfare system.

Since the inception of the Provincial AIDS Action Unit, high impact initiatives have been introduced and implemented. For example, the Province now has 91 Voluntary Counselling and Testing sites, with 359 trained lay counsellors.

We need to fight this war against HIV/AIDS on all fronts. Our approach should be holistic and comprehensive. Therefore, we need to move on the issue of the treatment of HIV/AIDS sufferers and the challenge of and HIV/AIDS orphans.

We must accept that the Government will never have all the resources to win this war. This is no excuse for doing nothing or doing as little as possible. Government must take responsibility and provide the necessary leadership if we are going to arrest the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Definitely, my government and KwaZulu-Natal will not be found wanting. We are taking full responsibility as a government and providing leadership.

Mr Speaker, my Government therefore supports the calls for the provision of a comprehensive treatment for the HIV/AIDS sufferers. In this regard, my Government will host a Provincial Conference on Treatment of HIV/AIDS sufferers within 60 days from today. An Interdepartmental Task Team led by my department should work out all the logistical arrangements and report to Cabinet within two weeks from today.

The main objectives of this conference will be to:

* Determine the modalities for the roll out of the anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS sufferers;
* Consider other opportunities that could be tapped in this war against HIV/AIDS;
* Discuss how to appeal to the international community and all people of goodwill for assistance.

Re-engineering service delivery in government

It is only through collective and integrated efforts, including entering into partnership with Local Government institutions, the private sector, communities and civil society organisations that we can optimise the use of available resources and ensure effective service delivery. The Provincial Government continues to strive towards this goal.

The last two years saw the enhancement of integrated service delivery in the health field with the implementation of comprehensive health care through the District Health System, re-alignment of the levels of care, rationalisation and transformation of institutions and Emergency Medical Rescue Services.

A generic Disaster Management Plan has been developed and dedicated disaster management teams have been established at district level.

Investing in infrastructure

Improved infrastructure is a condition precedent to effective service delivery. To that effect numerous initiatives have either been accomplished or will be accomplished during the 2003/04 financial year. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that:

* The Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs, in its attempt to ensure effective functioning of the traditional institutions, has focused on the construction, maintenance and upgrading of Traditional Administrative Centres and Empowering the Institution of Traditional Leadership. This department has budgeted for the renovation of 72 Amakhosi courts during this financial year. Amakhosi Courts have been provided with electricity and their telecommunication needs have been assessed and will be addressed. They have been provided with information technology equipment and are undergoing relevant capacity building programmes.

* The Department of Transport has undertaken several large Road Upgrading Projects that will be financed over several years. These projects, come under the banner of the African Renaissance Road Upgrading Programme and have been designed to fast track the normalization of the road construction industry in our province by creating opportunities for emerging and well established contractors, as well as newly established and well established consultants.

Some of these include:

* the construction of the Main Road 577. The purpose of the proposed Main Road 577 is to provide an alternative access route for the greater Inanda, Ntuzuma, Kwa Mashu, Phoenix and Newlands residential area which has a total population of 1,1 million. This road will provide a new east/west direct link to the Pinetown/New Germany industrial and commercial complex;
* the construction of a new road between Ulundi and Empangeni/Richards Bay - P700. P700 is currently a 35 km long gravel road from Ulundi and proceeding in a general easterly direction to the Cengeni Gate of the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park.

The upgrade of the Main Roads 577 and P700 has been made possible by the Treasury grant of R153 million over three years. The construction of the two roads is programmed to commence in April 2003.

My Government has taken a decision to upgrade this road to a designed blacktop standard. The development of this road would greatly enhance the development potential of Ulundi by shortening the distance between the two major development nodes by some 60km and will also promote cultural tourism.

The upgrading of major transport corridors is expected to generate a more diversified local economy with new investment opportunities in agriculture, tourism, transport, construction, small industries and trade.

It has always been our wish that basic health care becomes accessible to the people of the Province. To realise this wish, I am happy to report that the Department of Health has spent R10 million in this financial year to upgrade the KwaZulu-Natal Mobile Clinic Vehicle Fleet. A total of 56 new mobile vehicles have been purchased and 53 new capsules converted and fitted. R239 000 was spent on the repair of existing capsules, 3 of which have been fitted to new vehicles.

In spite of challenges encountered in the process of housing delivery nationwide as well as in the Province, our province has accelerated service delivery. Projects have been approved to ensure a higher delivery of houses in urban areas as well as rural areas under the leadership of Amakhosi. During the year under review the Department received 27 612 subsidy applications of which 17 361 were approved totalling R234 983 053. Further, 1227 flats were upgraded and maintenance was carried out on 13 000 rented houses

In consideration of our elderly citizens as well as our disabled people who are expected to travel long distances to receive their pensions, a decision has been taken that this service be delivered to these people. To that end, plans are afoot to develop pension pay out in such a manner that beneficiaries do not have to travel more than 5km to receive a pension. All pay points will be equipped with help desks.

In respect of projects, which were built or are being built through the KwaZulu-Natal Peace Initiative Fund, which is managed by the Office of the Premier, I am happy to report that of thirty-two projects embarked upon two projects have been handed over to local municipalities that will operate and manage the assets on behalf of the communities. These are Izingolweni Multi-skills Centre, completed at a cost of R 2 million, and Sakhuxolo Multi-skills Training Centre at a cost of R 2,5 million. A further 21 projects have been completed and are being utilised by communities. It is also contemplated that these will be transferred to the municipalities. Eleven projects are in various stages of completion and all will be finalised in this year.

In terms of Cabinet Resolution No 533 of 2000, the Cabinet resolved that Phase Two of the Peace Initiative Programme be discontinued and the balance of approximately R80 million available was to be reallocated, amongst others, that the R 20 million was to be allocated to the Office of the Premier for the promotion of peace in the Province under the financial control of the accounting officer in the Office of the Premier.

My department decided to establish a Youth Empowerment Fund in order to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the youth as well as to the overall community upliftment by:

* Providing financial assistance to emerging entrepreneurs from amongst the youth,
* Supporting skills and training initiates for the youth.

The programme is run under the slogan: " it makes business sense"

To date 10 programmes have been approved totalling R3. 5 million. All the remaining funds will be allocated this year.

Human Capability Development

Human capability development is a core business of every institution be it a private or a public institution if it has to succeed with its service delivery. It is accepted that the Province needs professionals and experts in the various sectors of business, industry, public service and the economy. It therefore, follows that we as the Province must pursue and sustain human capability development and must be able to address the on going exodus of highly skilled human resources.

We, as the Provincial Government would like to applaud our Department of Education and Culture for attaining the 70,8 % pass in the year 2002, Senior Certificate Examination. This represents 8% increase on the previous year Senior Certificate Examination. This demonstrates that a culture of teaching and learning is being resuscitated in our province.

That we are serious in ensuring the development of our human capability is evidenced by the fact that 210 Adult Based Education and Training Tutors were trained and 140 officials attended seven workshops organised by my office. In relation to skills development in the provincial government, my Office has embarked on an intensive training of 80 middle managers in the Provincial Administration. Another 100 more will be trained in the first term of 2003. 93 members of the Senior Management Services have received training as Human Resource Development and Skills Development facilitators. The Department of Health has also achieved substantial progress in the field of Forensic Nursing. Forty nurses have been trained in forensic nursing in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Department of Social Welfare and Population Development has linked human resource development to the core business of the department by professionalising Social Security through partnership with Rand Afrikaans University which offers academic training in Social Security. This is a new and innovative move.

In order to create a framework for the strategic utilisation and development of human resources and to enhance economic growth and improve service delivery, my Office will embark on the development of a Province wide Human Resource Development plan to be completed by 30 May 2003. This will form part of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and a Public Service wide Human Resource Plan to be completed on 31 December 2003.

Review of the Priorities of the Provincial Government

The reality of scarce resources under conditions of increasing societal needs gave impetus to the need to review the priorities and programmes of the Provincial Government at our recent Cabinet Indaba at Didima Camp from 5-7 February 2003. After reviewing the challenges facing the Province, our strategies and programmes, the Cabinet resolved that our priorities will be:

1. Eradication of poverty;
2. Addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic;
3. Providing Social Security nets for the poor;
4. Investing in infrastructure;
5. Developing human capability;
6. Strengthening governance;
7. Promoting rural development and urban renewal and,
8. Investing in job creating economic growth.

The fundamental difference between the new and the old priorities Mr Speaker is marked by the addition of three new priorities, namely Providing Social Security nets for the poor and investing in job creating economic growth. We have also included re-engineering service delivery in the strengthening of governance priority.

Cabinet has directed that a high percentage of our new budget of R32, 8 Billion should fund these priorities.

A Technical Task Team of officials has been established to work with Departments in ensuring that all the identified programmes under these priorities are appropriately funded and implemented. Monitoring and strict reporting systems will have to be established. Cabinet will receive a full report o this work by April 2003.

Work is continuing on the integration of Mandates, Programmes and budgets of the various provincial departments. Cabinet clusters are being strengthened to ensure this integration. This work is critical if we are going to avoid duplication of services and efforts.

Conclusion

Mr Speaker, Sir, I have highlighted achievements of my Government during the past year. We can be justifiably proud of the progress we have made in many areas, in spite of the many constraints and challenges that confronted us. We now need to focus on building on these gains and using them as foundation stones for progress and development in the future.

I would like to emphasise that my Government is committed to making this coming year a year of accelerated delivery. We are a government for action. We are committed to service delivery to the people we serve. This is the year in which we will ensure the rapid progress and finalisation of the initiatives that have been planned and commenced.

Having said that, the challenges facing us require that we renew our efforts and resources to meeting them. We cannot be complacent about what we have achieved without rededicating ourselves anew to the people of the province and their needs.

I thank you

Issued by Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal

3 March 2003