Cabinet Media Statement
22 February 2014
The executive council held its
quarterly extended cabinet Lekgotla over a three-day period [from
Wednesday until Friday] this week to assess the government work done in the
past five years as the term of office for the current provincial
administration is coming to an end. The Lekgotla is attended by the
executive council, mayors, heads of provincial departments, chief executive
officers of parastatal and municipal managers.
The Lekgotla expressed
satisfaction on massive achievements by the current provincial
administration and stressed that indeed government has a good story to tell
as Mpumalanga is now a much better place than it was before 1994.
By delivering the services to the
public, the provincial government is content that it has restored the
dignity of the people. Although some people are yet to get their free
government houses, many now have shelter over their heads, and many have
access to clean drinking water.
During the Lekgotla all
members of the executive gave account of what their departments achieved and
the shortcomings which will require the attention of the next administration
shortly after the elections.
The Lekgotla also appreciated the
government’s comprehensive rural development programme [CRDP], that it had
begun to make some headway in touching and changing the lives of the poor
for the better.
The Lekgotla was also briefed
about the progress made with regards to the support given to three
departments that had been placed under curatorship. It was reported that the
Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison was out of the woods in
terms of its financial problems, however they were still challenges in the
Department of Health, and in the Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development and Land Affairs.
The Lekgotla cited
significant progress in the area of education in that for the past four
years, there has been an upward trend on the matric pass rate. Both the MEC
and the head of the department of education were commended for the job
well-done. The department’s turnaround system over the last years has been
recognized as having been the key achievement of the current administration.
The department of education has improved its governance systems, has
received better audit outcomes and has been efficiently and effectively
managing the matric examination.
The Lekgotla noted that this year
alone, the number of learners in pre-grade increased to 75 274 and that
there has been a consistent improvement in matric results from 47.9 in 2009
to 77.6 in 2013 through a targeted interventions especially in the
underperforming areas within the province.
The Lekgotla noted that the
number of no fee school increased from 900 to 1 646 and that the
government’s nutrition programme has been extended to all quintile 1 – 3
secondary schools thus benefitting close to 875 learners.
In the department of health, a
remarkable progress has been made in the fight against HIV and AIDS,
although Gert Sibande District Municipality remains a concern as it is
number two in the country with high infections. The Lekgotla again
expressed excitement that through other government’s interventions in the
fight against HIV and AIDS, life expectancy has now improved.
Through targeted interventions, maternal mortality has been reduced from 157
to 112 per 100 000 live births. Despite this progress, the Lekgotla
conceded that more still needed to be done.
Although most of the achievements and the
shortcomings of the current administration will be presented during the
State of the Province Address next week [28 February 2014], Mpumalanga
Premier David Mabuza took an opportunity to thank the citizens of Mpumalanga
for entrusting him and his executive council to lead government in the past
five years.
He said they [executive council] were humbled for
the experience afforded to them in directly changing the lives of the people
for the better. He added that in the past five years the current
administration has maintained some stability in the province. He
subsequently asked the members of the executive to prepare hand-over reports
in order to make the transition smooth and help the up-coming administration
to be able to continue where they left off.
“Those of us, who are political representatives, are humbled by the opportunity to lead government. It was not an easy journey, we fought along the way, but our intentions were the good ones. We knew that leaders come and go, we are however confident that our people will recognize the difference this democratic government has made in their lives over the last 20 years.
“We trust that the transition will be smooth like a relay. The journey continues, indeed we have a good story to tell, the entire landscape of our beautiful province has changed,” said Mabuza.
Issued by Zibonele Mncwango
Spokesperson: Mpumalanga Premier
Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Office of the Premier
Tel: (013) 766 2453
Mobile: 079 4910163
E-mail: zmncwango@mpg.gov.za