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Premier DonatesR1 Millionto Tomato Project inMdantsaneBy: Keith NgesiAs part of the Exco-outreach the Premier,Honourable Noxolo Kiviet was taken toa successful tomato project in NU18,Mdantsane. Despite the bad weather, slipperyand muddy road, the Premier just like anyother person joined a group of politicians andofficials in making her way to the site of thetomato project.This project which started in 2009 isjointly funded by Buffalo City Metro and theDepartment of Economic Affairs to a tune ofR7.5 million. This includes the first phase andthe subsequent extension of the project. ThePremier went there to listen to the successesof this project as well as challenges faced bythe cooperatives. The tour was kick-startedby the chairperson of the cooperatives OlgaPhethe who gave a brief verbal overview of theproject. A passionate Phete spoke heartily withno reference to any document. She outlinedthe successes of the project which clearlyoutweighed the challenges. Phethe saidthey responded to the Government’s call ofVukuzenzele. “We did not want to sit back andwait for government to employ us, we decidedto create employment for ourselves and theMunicipality then assisted what they saw as afeasible project”. The project brings bread to16 households and Phethe is determined thatit will also be a source of employment for theirchildren and members of the community whoare struggling to make ends meet, but shewas quick to say this they cannot do withoutthe assistance from Government. “We want toemploy our children so that they may be ableto continue with this work when we are gone”she said. She thanked the efforts made by MsThembakazi Nqodi who tirelessly worked hardfor this project to materialize. “She proved notto be those officials who take their jackets towork, Thembakazi was hands-on from theEastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet and BCMM Executive Mayor Zukiswa Ncitha interacting with workers during their sitevisit to the Hydroponic Project situated in Mdantsane’s Unit 18beginning”. Phethe listed their challenges andpleaded with the premier to intervene. She saidthey are struggling ever since their blowingmachine gave in. “We now shake the tomatotrees and at times blow them ourselves whichis quite a tedious exercise” she said. The wholeproject which has for tunnels requires fourblowing machines. “This one is very critical,nokuba ungakhaba nje apha iphume” (This oneis critical, even if you can miraculously give itto us now). She also mentioned a need for atractor to load their produce during harvesttime. “We struggle with heavy crates on ourheads as we have to walk a distance to loadour produce to a truck”. She said they are alsoglad that the Premier visited them when theweather was bad, saying they struggle to drivein their only truck as the road is in a bad state.The truck they are referring to was donatedby NETSAFRICA along with the pack-shedmachine through the intervention of BCMM’sDevelopment Cooperation and InternationalRelations. The Premier responded swiftly totheir need for the machine. This happened aftershe enquired about the price of each machine.The officials confirmed that a machine costsR200 000.00 each. Then the Premier instructedthe Head of Department (DEDEAT), Mr.Bulumko Nelana to provide R500 000.00 andher office will provide the other R500 000.00 tomake it a million to purchase 5 machines. “I amcommitting R500 000 and Bulumko will bring inthe other half-a-million to buy these machines”said Kiviet. This pronouncement immediatelyattached meaning to the Exco-Outreach’stheme which clearly states “Working togetherto speed up effective service delivery”.The executive Mayor, Zukiswa Ncitha alsomade a commitment to assist the project withobtaining the gap certificate they require inorder to trade with retailers. “On our side wewill make sure that they get quick assistance ingetting enabling documentation to help themmeet the required standards”.The Premier, executive mayor then left forother projects leaving behind people feelingserved.Members of the tomato project rejoicing with ExecutiveMayor Zukiswa Ncitha during the EXCO Outreach“Working together to speed up effective service delivery” 6- 8 August 2012
Stakeholdersspeak their hearts outBy:Thandy MatebeseDay three of the EXCO Outreach, sawthe stakeholders voicing their concernsabout various issues of governanceto the executive council of the province ledby Eastern Cape Premier Ms Noxolo Kiviet,the Buffalo City political and administrativeleaderships led by the Executive Mayor, Cllr.Zukiswa Ncitha and the Municipal Manager,Andile Fani respectively. Highlighting thepurpose of the session, the Executive Mayorsaid it was of significant importance for thetwo spheres of government, namely themunicipality and province, to work closelywith various stakeholders of the communityto improve service delivery. She said forgovernment to be effective it needed acollective input from all the stakeholders andthe solo approach had to be done away with.She also said government spheres shouldstop looking at the stakeholders outsideof government, as the opposition but aspartners.In preparation for the stakeholders’ forum,representatives of the various stakeholdersconducted a series of meetings whichculminated into the production of the 2012BCMM Stakeholders Engagement Report.Representing the stakeholders, SiphoPremier Noxolo Kiviet flanked by Executive Mayor Zukiswa Ncitha and BCMM Portfolio Head of Local EconomicDevelopment, Councillor Pumla Nazo at a community engagement session held in Postdam Community HallMengezeleleli, highlighted three areas ofconcern which were grouped as follows,(i) governance, (ii) economic growth andinfrastructure and (iii) social transformation.During the meeting, the stakeholders madesome recommendations with regards to anumber of issues, such as; the revival of themoral regeneration movement, funding fornon-profit organisations, communication andconsultation, supply chain and procurement,audit on business and land ownership, SMMEand community development, unemploymentand recruitment processes.The two spheres of government, thenresponded to the issues raised by stakeholders.The premier closed the session by forginga way forward. She said a team consistingof 3 MEC’s and 3 Members of the MayoralCommittee would be set up to work on issuesraised and report back. She also said therewas a need to strengthen relations betweengovernment and external stakeholders, sheconcluded by saying there should be anactive civil society and that people shouldtake charge of the change they want to see.One of the stakeholders’ representativessaid the meeting was fruitful and he hopedthe decisions made, would be implemented.He also commended the Premier and theExecutive Mayor for affording them anopportunity to express their frustrations andopinions when it comes to government andservice delivery withing the Metro.By Tabisa MntengwanaGovernment launches947 rural housing unitsEastern Cape leaders spent three dayswith various stakeholders, the communityand political leaders during the ProvincialExecutive Council in Buffalo City.The three day consultation also saw 82 yearold Nosingile Tyuka receive a house with a2500 litre rain tank and a VIP toilet from BCMMExecutive Mayor, Zukiswa Ncitha and EasternCape Premier, Noxolo Kiviet on August 8.Tyuka has been living in the house for the pastthree months.Nosingile lives with her two children andtwo grandchildren. “Before moving into theRDP house, she was living in a rainy shackwith all her children,” reads a report from theDepartment of Human Settlements.Speaking about the housing project, regionaldirector for the Provincial Human SettlementDepartment, Simphiwe Nojoko said that thereare a number of challenges with the Tshaboproject, “among those is trying to locatebeneficiaries residing at other areas and othersmoving to other cities.” The rural housing6- 8 August 2012Premier Noxolo Kiviet and Executive Mayor Zukiswa Ncitha sharing a light moment with one of the beneficiaries, of theTshabo Rural Housing Project, Nosingile Tyukaproject will have 947 RDP houses and already841 houses have been completed and 106sites are set to be completed by October thisyear. Wrapping up the day, Premier NoxoloKiviet and the Executive Mayor, ZukiswaNcitha accompanied by senior governmentofficials, attended a community engagementsession at the Postdam Community Hall to“Working together to speed up effective service delivery”listen and respond to residents’ concerns aboutservice delivery. Other community engagementsessions were attended by members of theExecutive Council, were held in; XhaminiCommunity Hall in Tsholomnqa, Robbie deLange Community Hall in Orange Grove andRondavel Hall in Phakamisa West.
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