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The fifth National Imbizo Focus Week will take place from 13 October -19 October 2003. Two and half years since Government launched Imbizo, it has grown to the extent that National Ministers and Deputy Ministers, together with Premiers, MECs and local government representatives, will be participating in a Focus Week
programme of more than four hundred and ten (410) events across the country.

This Focus Week is organised around the theme: "Build a people's contract for growth and development" and will put particular emphasis on programmes to expand economic opportunities, including implementation of Growth and Development Summit agreements.

The Week also coincides with World Food Day, which will involve mobilisation of communities for food security, as well as Social Development Month when there will be intensified registration for social grants. In the same period civil servants will be mobilised in the ID and grants registration campaigns.

Public representatives in all three spheres of government will share information with communities in nine provinces on programmes to expand economic opportunities and how to access them, amongst others SMME support, skills development and adult basic education and training, building awareness on local procurement for local economic development.

The steady growth of participation in Imbizo by both government and the public reflects the extent to which it provides a participatory platform for building partnership for development and implementation, a forum that communities use to share views on how they think government can best address challenges they face daily.

The programme is available on the government website: http//www.gov.za or call 0800 314 446 for more details.

Enquiries: Harold Maloka on 012 314 2148, 082 847 9799

Issued by Government Communication and Information system (GCIS), 8 October 2003