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It was a job well done in the first quarter, according to Mokonyane, who spoke about education, health, Gautrain and, of course, the World Cup.
GAUTENG is on course to achieve all its outcomes, a set of service targets premised on the national government's Programme of Action, according to Premier Nomvula Mokonyane.
Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane
- Providing quality basic education;
- A healthy life for all residents;
- Decent employment through economic growth;
- Sustainable human settlements and improved quality of household life; and
- Ensuring that all residents are and feel safe.
In terms of education, Mokonyane said the province had made great strides in the first quarter to ensure that children were well-prepared to develop and succeed in the later stages of their education.
In all, 384 new early childhood development sites had been registered since the beginning of 2010. Another 284 sites would be registered before the end of the current financial year.
In addition, 10 new schools were in various stages of completion around the province, including Diepsloot Secondary School in Diepsloot. "Once completed, the new schools will increase capacity and alleviate the problem of overcrowding currently experienced in some of our schools," she said.
Health
In an effort to ensure that all residents had a long and healthy life, the province provided primary health care services in poor communities, reducing mortality rates and stepping up the fight against HIV/Aids and TB.
Mokonyane said service hours had been extended in seven clinics across Johannesburg, bringing the total number of clinics with extended service hours to 48. Two more clinics - Chiawelo and Zola - were set to open for 24 hours during the second quarter of the 2010/11 financial year.
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of Aids through antiretroviral treatment was being extended to ensure all pregnant women could access the service. All antenatal facilities in Gauteng offered the programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
"More health workers are being trained in pre-natal care on an ongoing basis to ensure that they have skills to perform deliveries and neonatal resuscitation. Emergency ambulance services [obstetric ambulances] are in place for referral of pregnant women with foetal distress to higher level of care," said Mokonyane.
In addition, all districts in the province offered immunisation for children at age one at all primary health care facilities. "Ninety-one percent of all children under the age of one have been immunised against polio."
The province had taken the fight against HIV/Aids to another level, with over 500 000 people responding to the call to test for HIV by 1 April. Mokonyane said the province was "very happy" with the figure, and would step up the campaign to get more people tested to meet the target of three million people by the end of June 2011.
Jobs
In an effort to provide decent employment for its residents, the province had adopted the Gauteng Employment Growth and Development Strategy, among others. These included the Maize Triangle Strategy, Transport and Logistics Strategy, Co-operatives Strategy and Broad-Based Economic Empowerment Strategy.
"This decision is a further expression of confidence in the future of the South African economy, and Gauteng in particular. More importantly, it confirms the correctness of our decision to invest public money to support the growth of the automotive industry in Gauteng."
Gauteng was also implementing special programmes targeting youth employment and skills development in a number of departments. These included the Expanded Public Works Programme, which had already enrolled 549 young people working on different projects.
In addition, young people starting their own businesses were being given preferential status in government procurement. Companies owned by youth would also receive special support in business development and management, and access to markets, Mokonyane explained.
Gautrain
Turning to transport, the premier said the Gautrain started ferrying passengers between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton on 8 June, just days before kickoff of the football World Cup.
"Gautrain introduced quicker, safer and more convenient means of transport to our public transport system. The higher numbers of passengers who are using Gautrain on a daily basis confirm the strategic importance of this project to our province."
In its first two months of operation, 614 896 people used the Gautrain. "Construction on the second phase of the project is progressing on schedule and we are on course to operate a full service of Gautrain in 2011."
Housing
Lufhereng, one of the biggest integrated human settlement projects in the country, was launched on Monday, 16 August. Situated just west of Soweto, the township would provide 24 000 homes when complete.
Mokonyane said that in line with the province's new approach to developing human settlements, Lufhereng would comprise various housing typologies to cater for the poor as well as those earning between R3 500 and R10 000 a month.
Gauteng was also developing 37 more projects across the province under the mixed housing development programme. In the past quarter, 153 serviced stands had been allocated and 300 houses completed, with an additional 3 064 houses and 2 446 serviced stands allocated to beneficiaries.
World Cup
The successful hosting of the football World Cup proved that the province had the capacity and the capability to host huge global events. A total of 21 matches took place in Gauteng, including the opening and final matches, which were played at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium, known as Soccer City during the tournament.
Of the 32 participating teams, 18 - including Bafana Bafana, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, USA, Argentina and Netherlands - had base camps in Gauteng. Gauteng also had the highest attendance figures, with 1 287 427 people attending matches at FNB Stadium, Coca-Cola Park - known as Ellis Park during the tournament - and Loftus Versfeld. Another half-a-million watched matches at the fan parks and public viewing areas.
The World Cup, held from 11 June to 11 July, provided a unique opportunity for the country to celebrate National Youth Day in a special way with the rest of the world. On 16 June, the football fraternity joined thousands of South Africans in Soweto to pay tribute to the class of 1976 for their role in the struggle for freedom and democracy.
Mokonyane also paid tribute to South African women during Women's Month. She said several events had been held to celebrate women and the role they played in the struggle for democracy.
Wrapping up her report, she said the province would continue to work towards improving the lives of its residents. "While this report only deals with the performance of government in just one quarter, it gives us confidence that we are on course to achieve all our outcomes," she said.
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