Mpumalanga Premier, Mr DD Mabuza on the occasion of the announcement of the new Members of the Executive Council
12 May 2009
Let me first welcome all of you present here this
afternoon and further state our firm conviction in the building and
strengthening of partnerships between the provincial government and the media
fraternity. It is a partnership we want to nurture and consolidate in the
interest of promoting accountability and transparency.
It would also be proper for me to also extend a hand of
partnership to various stakeholders in our province, namely, business, religious
sector, traditional leadership and the community in its diversity. It will also
be our primary mission to build a cohesive and united Mpumalanga wherein each
citizen benefits from the opportunities accruing from democracy.
In this connection, the executive I am about to present to
you in a short while is expected to promote inclusive governance, transparency
and be accountable to the sectors and people of the province. In the same
spirit, we urge key sectors in our province to lend support to the members of
the executive as they assume their public duties.
As we said yesterday during the inauguration ceremony,
substantial progress has been achieved since 1994 by successive African National
Congress (ANC) led governments in our province and we also pledge to do more in
order to bring about an improved quality of life for all our people,
particularly the rural poor.
Over the next five years, we will be hard at work to
realise the five key objectives we have set ourselves as the governing party.
The overwhelming mandate, which we accept with humility and confidence, enjoins
us to do more in order to consolidate democracy and expand the horizons of
freedom.
Accordingly, the key focus will be on the creation of jobs
and sustainable livelihoods, provision of quality education, access to quality
health care, closing the urban rural dichotomy through a renewed focus on food
security, land reform and lastly, intensifying our common efforts to deal with
the scourge of corruption, lack of integrity and crime.
As a result and after thorough consultations with various
stakeholders, I am confident this team will be capable of prosecuting this
mandate cause their various experiences, track record and potential has
empowered them for any task they are called upon to execute by the ruling party.
Let me add that we have also reconfigured some departments
informed by the national mandate and the challenges facing the province.
Our members of the executive are as follows:
- MEC for Finance: Mrs Pinky Phosa
- MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism: Mr Jabu Mahlangu
- MEC for Culture, Sport and Recreation: Mr Vusi Shongwe
- MEC for Safety, Security and Liaison: Mrs Sbongile Manana
- MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport: Dr Clifford Mukasi
- MEC for Health and Social Development: Ms Dikeledi Mahlangu
- MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration: Mr Meshack Malinga
- MEC for Education: Ms Regina Mhaule
- MEC for Human Settlement: Mr Madala Masuku
- MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional
Affairs: Mr Norman Mokoena
As we conclude let me congratulate all of you and wish you
well in your new assignments.
Thank you very much for your time.
Enquiries:
Ntime Skhosana
Cell: 082 496 6875
Tel: 013 766 2055
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Mpumalanga Provincial Government