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1 October 2007

Programme Director
Executive Mayor of Mangaung, Councillor Gertrude Mothupi
The MEC for Local government
Representatives of Ninham Shand
Ladies and gentlemen

This event provides us an opportunity to clarify the many distortions and negative reporting particularly by the media, regarding this project.

What was particularly disturbing about media reports was a perception linking inefficiency with the democratic dispensation.

A project of this nature and magnitude, will always invite challenges particularly because it depended among others on the buy in of all stakeholders particularly private sector.

We are satisfied that this project is finally successfully completed.

It is part of our mandate to correct the apartheid spatial problems whereby major developments had to only happen in the so-called white settlements.

The partnership between the national department, the provincial government and the city of Mangaung can serve as a very god case study for intergovernmental planning, co-ordination and delivery.

For that purpose, we want to thank particularly the Executive Mayor and the city leadership for visionary and strategic approach towards development Mangaung will always remain a barometer through which the rest of South Africa and the world measure the success or failure of our government.

It is therefore logical that we invest so much in the overall management of the municipality in terms of human, financial and other resources.

The activity corridor is an important link for all our people to have access to health services, educational facilities as well as recreation.

It is an important commercial development which makes it possible for workers to link with job opportunities as well as industries to have access to the critical market.

The overall idea is to do our planning in such a manner that we integrate our planning in line with the national housing vision.

On behalf of the provincial government, we want to appreciate the role played by the national department, the MEC and the Department of Local Government and Housing, Ninham Shand and all the other role players for a job well done.

This corridor is part of the history of Mangaung and it carries with it, much historical moment, which are today part of our collective heritage.

We will therefore work hard to ensure that our vision of social and economic infrastructure becomes a reality.

I thank you

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Free State Provincial Government
1 October 2007