THE PREMIER'S INAUGURATION SPEECH
Mr Speaker,
Deputy Speaker,
Members of the Legislature,
His Majesties the Kings,
Honourable Amakhosi,
My beloved friend Mr Phosa,
The Mayors and Councilors of All TLC's present here,
The Director General of this Province,
Heads of the Departments,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me pleasure to address you for the first time as the Premier of this province.
I am humbled by the confidence shown in me by the honourable President of the African National Congress; Comrade Thabo Mbeki and the ANC National Executive in appointing me as the Premier-elect of this province.
I am also thankful to the Mpumalanga Legislature in confirming my appointment as the Premier of the Province on the 15/06/1999. I want to promise the people of this province and my organization the ANC that, I will not fail them in the exercise of my duties as the Premier. To the people of this province who voted the ANC overwhelmingly in power, I will like to say thank you, and promise you as well that:
the majority support you have given us will be used with responsibility.
All the people of this province shall be treated alike.
No favouritism, nor prejudice will be exercised over any person of this province.
I further want to promise you that:
equal fastened delivery of service will receive undivided attention by this provincial government in the next coming five years.
Corruption and fraud in government will be uprooted at all costs.
Clean administration will underpin any operation in government.
Collective governance will be the motto of this government;
By this I mean that, the executive council will go to all seven regions of this province at least once a year to report about, what they do in government as a whole and in their departments.
The inputs from the community regarding their needs and perception of our services should be acquired in all possible means.
By so doing our motto "Together fighting for change" will be fulfilled.
During the run-up to elections, I visited various parts of this province,holding meetings with communities.
The following has emerged from the comments of these people that, although the foundation of delivery of services is visible, the following shortcomings are still dominant.
- Unemployment is still high
- The Culture of Learning and Teaching is still at its infancy.
- Overcrowding in classes particularly in rural areas is still a problem.
- Our economic growth still leaves much to be desired.
- Our roads network is poor in rural areas.
- Water network is lacking in many areas.
- Electricity supply need to be upgraded in certain parts of the province.
- Our health care centres and clinics are lacking in many areas.
- Housing development in the areas of traditional leaders still forms a problem.
- There is still a lack of good relationship between traditional leaders and elected local government councillors.
- Disunity among communities and certain structures in the communities.
- Some other fixed assets of government e.g. building structures are under utilised.
I also had an opportunity of having discussions with Heads of Departments, their MEC's and officials of parastatals, with the view of getting individual status of these institutions. In most instances I was given reports. The following irregularities were experienced:-
- In some departments or parastatals administration is a total disaster.
- There are no proper control measures effected.
- Lot of money has been misappropriated or missing.
- In certain departments there are clear signs of corruption theft and fraud.
- There is a tendency of overspending in many departments..
- The total overspending of this provincial government as at 31/3/99 is high.
- One of the disturbing irregularities is the failure of the Department of Finance to pay tax deducted from employees over to the Receiver of Revenues.
- The tax referred to is over R206m.
- There is a serious disunity in the current Executive Council and some members of the previous Legislature.
In order to remedy or address the above irregularities I hereby do the following:-
- I hereby call upon all members of the incoming Executive Council and the newly elected members of Legislature to desist from any form of disunity during their term of office.
- I further call them upon to live above petty disputes or ambitiousness emanating from position mongering and jealousy.
- I further call for all communities in this province including various structures of organizations to refrain from forming cliques or cabals based on internal fights for positions or self interest.
- I hereby direct that, all the incoming members of the Executive Council together with the Heads of Departments should carry investigations in their various departments in order to unearth any corruption, fraud or theft, so that the culprits can be brought to books if this was previously not done.
- All Heads of Departments should report to my office within three weeks from today the 18/6/99, what measures have been taken in their respective departments to combat and prevent corruption, fraud, theft and maladministration.
- I direct that each department should come up with planned projects and those that are under implementation. It is important that, coupled to each project, a clear business plan should be attached. This plans must reach my office within thirty days from now.
- The MEC dealing with economy should start dialogue with business Tabour and other stake holders regarding the steps or measures to be taken, to enhance the growth of economy in our province. The small industries in the province which stand unutilized should be looked at.
- I commit myself that the matter of under utilized government buildings will be placed on the cabinet agenda as soon as possible.
- Last but not least the incoming executive should be committed to clean administration in which overspending of the budget of various departments will remain a taboo.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.