MEDIA STATEMENT

05 April 2007

MPUMALANGA EMBARKS ON A NATIONAL IMBIZO FOCUS WEEK

10 – 17 APRIL 2007 .

Mpumalanga Provincial Government will embark on an Imbizo Focus Week from 10-17 April 2007 that will see National Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Mpumalanga Premier, Mayors and other senior government officials visiting and interacting with various communities in Mpumalanga to discuss wide-ranging issues of service delivery.

During one of the 27 events in Mpumalanga, the National Minister of Safety and Security, Charles Nqakula, Premier Thabang Makwetla, Deputy Minister of Safety and Security, Ms Susan Shabangu and Provincial Commissioner Afrika Khumalo will be expected to attend an interdenominational church service imbizo at Msogwabo Stadium on Thursday 12 April 2007 as part of government ‘s efforts to turn the tide against crime.

This will be the 11 th Imbizo Focus Week since the start of this programme in 2001. The theme for this imbizo is “ Social mobilisation for Development and Safer Communities”. President Thabo Mbeki has also completed a cycle of visiting all provinces in what has been known as Presidential Imbizo. In 2006 alone, he visited 11 District Municipality across the country.

Imbizo is a forum for enhancing dialogue and interaction between government and the people. The forum provides mutual benefits and opportunities for both government and the communities. Government, on the one hand, gets the opportunity to communicate its programme of action, plans and discuss possible solutions directly with the communities whilst on the other hand the ordinary members of the community get the opportunity to hold government accountable by raising concerns, making suggestions as way of influencing and dictating the pace and form of service delivery.

Government encourages a national partnership for social mobilisation for Development and Safer communities.

Enquiries: Mokope Taiwe +27 13 766 2288 / 082 802 8460 or mokope@mpg.gov.za