MMEC SPEECH DURING THE SOD TURNING CEREMONY OF MADIDI BRIDGE IN MADIBENG 18 OCTOBER 2017.

Program Director today marks an important milestone in the history of Madidi and Pasha Villages as we start to connect our people for ease of communication. The two villages were cut apart and divided our people. We are here to bring dignity to our people.

An old proverb says “good fences make good neighbours”. Therefore we are privileged Hon Mayor that the fifth administration under the leadership of Hon SOR Mahumapelo has prioritized our Villages, township and small dorpies to improve the lives of our people in rural areas.

Hon Mayor, I have learn from the wisdom of great people that during floods foolish man builds roads and wise men build bridges. We are here to start a process to build a bridge that will ensure economic emancipation between the two areas and surrounding communities. A bridge is a better way for communication than a cell phones and letters.

We want to make an appeal to the contractor, our people deserve the best. Quality is not reserved for the privileged in Pretoria and Johannesburg, we invest a lot to bring dignity to our people, and therefore we don’t want to be disappointed by shoddy work that will force us to come back within five years to correct such mistakes.

We are experiencing challenges of potholes in our newly built roads because the people we employ as contractors take our people for granted and just do things that they can’t do for themselves.

Hon Mayor, the department is going to demolish the existing structure and construct a new 50 meter long bridge at the cost of forty one million and fifty three thousand, three hundred and twelve.

The President of the country has directed during the State of the Nation address that for every tender worth more than R30 Million, 30% of the tender prize must go to sub-contracting. This is policy directives that must be adhered at all time. Our people need to be empowered. We are saying this openly because we have realized that these contractors are not adhering to these policy directives and undermine our people. That must come to an end.

Our people must benefit from this contract, not only as labours but as emerging contractors who will upgrade their gratings. We are serious about radical economic transformation and we can’t be apologetic about it. Economic freedom must be realized in our lifetime and that cannot be negotiated, it must happen.

However Program Director, I want to reiterate that as much as we need sub-contractors, it is important to avoid taking any person as a sub-contractor, those who do catering must concentrate on catering and allow those who do construction to do their work. The bottom line out of this project is quality, we are here not to create millionaires, we are here to bring dignity to the lives of our people, therefore at centre of what we do must be quality. We must do something that we will be proud of even after ten years of flooding.

To the Executive Mayor of Madibeng, my comrade, be strong and courageous, as women, we know what is best for our children. We have been given a task to lead, and as mothers, we know best how to care for our children. Even in heavy storms and hurricanes, we need to ensure that we feed our children. As women leaders, we will face many challenges, but we need to work together to ensure that our people are happy at all times.

We acknowledge that we have limited resources to speed up service delivery, but working together we can do more. Let us work together to bring dignity to the lives of our people. Let us work together to change the face of Madibeng. Let us work together to Rebrand, Reposition and Renew the people’s municipality of Madibeng. They may want you to fail as a woman, but if we can join hands, we can defeat the enemy.

Let us not end with this project today, let us open our doors and engage each other for future developments in your municipality. We are not far when you need us. Again, be strong and courageous, you are a mother for every person in this 41 wards of Madibeng, alone you will fail, together, we can succeed.

Program Director, before I conclude, allow me to repeat what I said in Lebotloane last week,

To councillors of both Pasha and Madidi villages, you have been waiting for this project for too long; therefore the issue of who becomes the CLO must not delay the progress in the implementation of the project. We must rise above and provide leadership.

To the community of Pasha and Madidi, we are here with the contractor to build the bridge that will connect your two villages, let there be no unnecessary delays on the project because of unnecessary protests.

To the municipality, this may be a provincial project, but remember, the province does not have a ward, wards belong to the municipality, and the project is within your municipal boundary, and therefore it is equally your project. Let us work together until we finish this project. Where there are challenges, don’t wait until the contractor is out of site, raise them immediately so they can be attended as quickly as possible. It is not interference, it is saamtrek-saamwerk.

We have taken a decision as the department that if the Contractor can be stopped from building the bridge for more than two weeks, we will take the project to another municipality where it is mostly needed and we will come back when the community has resolved their issues.

We are a rural province with a serious road backlogs, therefore we won’t keep the contractor doing nothing here while the project is need somewhere.

To the contractor, don’t take our people for granted, don’t exploit our people, don’t ever undermine our community because they are less privileged. They are human being. Whatever they demand, that is possible and legal, address it without causing unnecessary tension. We are aware of the tendency to divide the community members using money, so that must not happen during my time in this department. When you handover this project after completion, be proud of the number of contractors you have developed in this two communities. Be proud of the quality of work you could have done for this community.

The President has spoken, it is a policy directives, ensure that 30% of the total value of the contract is sub-contracted to emerging, qualifying, experienced contractors. That is radical economic transformation at its best.

In conclusion program director, let me take this opportunity to thank the community of Pasha and Madidi for being patient with the fifth administration. We commit to work together with you and the municipality to bring many changes to the people of this municipality.

We hope Executive Mayor that this may not be our last engagement in your municipality; we will ensure that we continue to invest much on road infrastructure in your municipality as we move Bokone Bophirima forward through radical economic transformation.

I thank you
Ke a leboga

 

Issued by Communication Directorate
Contact Person: Matshube Mfoloe
Contact Number: 018 388 4451
E-mail:mmfoloe@nwpg.gov.za