Premier's Remarks to the launch of the heritage, greening Mpumalanga and tourism flagship

Songimvelo Game Reserve
02 December 2008

 

Members of the Executive Council,

Honourable Members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature

The Executive Mayor of the Gert Sibande District Municipality

Honourable mayors, councillors and representatives of local government

Representatives of national government departments including the Department of Environment and Tourism (DEAT)

The Acting Director General of the Province and Heads of Departments,

The CEO’s of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Board and the Heritage, Greening Mpumalanga and Tourism Flagship

Our social partners, including the business community, labour and broader civil society

Our distinguished guests from all spheres of public endeavour,

Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

 

When we announced the establishment of the Flagships in 2007 we were quite confident of the huge improvements they would make in providing the much needed capacity for accelerated development

in our province.  However, no one could have prepared us for-ever expanding horizons and possibilities, our apex priorities, represented by the big five flagships of the province, have led us into. The opportunities to radically alter life in our province are boundless. 

 

It is indeed fitting and appropriate that we have chosen Songimvelo Nature Reserve for the occasion of the launch of the Heritage Greening Mpumalanga and Tourism Flagship. The name of this Nature Reserve and what it represents, including the cultural items on display today, is but a mirror image of the central objectives of the Flagship and its emphasis on an integrated multi-pronged approach to the celebration of culture and history, environmental conservation and tourism promotion.

 

We are who we are because of our primary endowment, the land. It is from our land where we draw our identity, culture and character.  

 

As we launch this flagship, we wish to commend the achievements registered in the planting of trees, across the province covering all the districts; Gert Sibande, Nkangala and Ehlanzeni. This modest initiative will go a long way in addressing climate change whilst improving quality of life and contributing to the development of sustainable human settlements by giving low-income communities trees to plant at their homes, as well as providing training, employment and environmental awareness”.

 

The spirit of partnership reflected in this work, must be eumulated by all of us. We welcome efforts made in working together with local authorities and non-governmental institutions, such as Food Trees for Africa (FTFA), in order to ensure the successful rollout of the project.

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

The launch of this Flagship attests to the Province’s commitment to sustainable development and the protection of the environment in line with the global agenda as outlined, in the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), movement.

 

Important objectives set out in the Flagship include:

  • To ensure a clean and healthy environment to the people living in and visiting the Mpumalanga province
  • And conducting spatial planning and management of the natural environment through the greening programme.

 

I am proud to also note that the recent Provincial Growth and Development Summit (PGDS) affirmed our commitment as a province to utilize our natural resources and ecosystems in a sustainable manner. Mindful of the many environmental problems that our country faces, we declared that a sustainable development path for the province is a non-negotiable.

 

As a result, of the recent reports about the contamination and pollution of our water resources, is a cause for concern.

 

These environmental problems, as noted in our country’s State of the Environment Report are serious, and include:

  • loss of biodiversity

  • air pollution, storm water, sewage, and waste disposal which continue to have substantial adverse impacts on the environment and human health.

  • Climate change

  • Current levels of use of inland water resources

  • Our per capita carbon dioxide emissions which are estimated as being almost twice the global average

 

In launching the Heritage Greening Mpumalanga and Tourism Flagship we seek to enjoin all of us in the province to embark on a journey towards a successful partnership that celebrates our shared heritage and conserves our natural environmental endowments in a manner that contributes to a better life for all.

 

We are convinced that government cannot do all that needs to be done, without effective partnerships with other role players.

 

This Flagship embodies a paradigm shift in calling for us to move away from a separation of culture/history, the environment and tourism promotion in the province.

 

The 'Water for All', Accelerated Capacity Building, Heritage, Greening Mpumalanga and Tourism, and Maputo Development Corridor flagship programmes  have all appointed programme heads (CEO’s) and established programme management units that are seized with the implementation of programmes that have been discussed and refined in various Makgotla and appropriate governance forums of the province. The Moloto Corridor Flagship will soon also have a CEO to coordinate all stakeholders and direct its action plan.

 

I thank you.

^ Back to Top