SODA May 2012.Pdf
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State of the District Address by the Her Worship Executive Mayor of the Amathole District Municipality Councillor Nomasikizi Konza Honourable Speaker of Amathole District Council: Councillor Samkelo Janda The Chief Whip of Council: Councillor Sandla Mtintsilana The Chairperson of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee: Councillor Nanziwe Rulashe Esteemed members of the Mayoral Committee Councillors of Amathole District Municipal Council Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Aspire: Dr. Mbuyiseli Mkosana and the Chief Executive Offi cer: Phila Xuza Members of Amathole District Executive led by Municipal Manager: Chris Magwangqana Leadership from various political organisations Traditional Leaders Distinguished guests Ladies and gentlemen Ewe kakade lento yinto yalonto Sibona kamhlophe sithi bekumele Sitheth’engqondweni sithi bekufanele Xa bekungenjalo bekungayi kulunga Ngoko ke, Sotase! Kwaqal’ukulunga! These are the words of one of Amathole District sons of the soil, utata uSamuel Edward Krune Mqhayi, born in Alice in 1917, when he was lamenting on the sinking on the Mendi ship. A dark period in our history which then marked fateful moments of disasters for our nation as people lost their lives fi ghting a war that wasn’t theirs. Together with the University of Fort Hare and Umhlobo Wenene FM, our fi rst SEK Mqhayi Language Conference we held resolved that we must promote isiXhosa as a national language and establish both an Institute and a Literature Museum. This is why in our Communication Strategy there is strong emphasis on using community radio; and isiXhosa as the fi rst choice medium of talking to our people. This afternoon, manene nani manenekazi, when I look at the plight and state of our beloved District, I can’t help but liken the period that we are in as that of ukuzika kwenqanawe ethwele amathemba abantu bakuthi. State of the District Address Amathole District Municipality Page 1 It’s a period of sadness and despair, charectirised by low levels of morals and respect for life and human dignity. We are being confronted with harsh realities of the scourge of HIV/Aids; the abuse of the most vulnerable in our society including women and children; and the lack of respect for the elderly. These people make up to 54 percent of the total District population. Yiyo lonto ke siye sathabatha iinkokheli zomthonyana kunye nabefundisi belizwi kulommandla walapha eMathole; sabadibanisa phantsi kwephiko leMoral Regeneration Movement ekhokelwa ngumfundisi uMabhuti Paul...sabanika uxanduva olukhulu lokuzama ukubuyisa isidima nembeko somntwana oMnyama. Mandithathe elithuba, ndamnkele abantu bakuthi nabaphula-phule bebeke ithemba kumaziko osasazo akweli leMpuma Koloni ngokubanzi. Abo bamamele kwi Khanya FM eGcuwa neziphaluka; iVukani FM eCala neziphaluka; iFort Hare FM eDikeni neziphaluka; iMdantsane FM apha eMonti neziphaluka. Ndiphinde ndenze njalo ndamkele wonke umntu osiphulaphule kuMhlobo Wenene FM nolindele ukuba sidandalazise umbono kwaye sinike umkhomba-ndlela ngexabiso lakhe kuMasipala. Ngale njikalanga sizokuwisa intento malunga noqingqo-mali, kunye nezona njongo zenguqulelo esinazo ezifana nobhaliso lwabahlelekileyo; Isindululo; Uluhlu lweerhafu kunye namaziko oNcedo lwabasebenzisi beeNkonzo zikaMasipala. This State of the Amathole District Municipality Nation takes place during a signifi cant year in the history of our country; the Centenary of the ruling party, the African National Congress. It is taking place as we welcome the Centenary fl ame in our District and indeed it is an honour for me to be addressing you in the presence of such a symbol of unity, perserverance and triumph; and in that spirit allow me to single out and salute those who led the ANC as Presidents... John Langalibalele Dube, Sefako Makgatho, Zac Mahabane, Josiah Gumede, Pixley ka Isaka Seme, AB Xuma, JS Moroka, Chief Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. The week long celebrations of this momentous occasion started in Ngqushwa Local Municipality where we unveiled the grave of the late comrade Duncan Pikoli. A man who refused British citizenship and despite not being allowed to come back home, made it his wish that his remains be buried in his home. Further signifi cant celebrations include the memorial lecture of Pixley ka Isaka Seme delivered by President Jacob Zuma in Nkonkobe Local Municipality yesterday. Today we are celebrating the life of stalwart Nontsikelo Albertina Sisulu with a symposium in Amahlathi Local Municipality. As the Amathole District, we take pride in our plans to record; re-narrate the underground military experiences through our project The Armed Struggle Living Museum. Having been chosen to be part of the National Heritage Liberation Route; the Armed Struggle Living Museum is the embodiment of the culture, concept, and essence of the underground military struggles derived from the formations of the uMkonto Wesizwe, Azanian People’s Liberation Army and later the Azanian National Liberation Army encapsulate. We have set aside R1, 3 million to re-emulate and replicate the underground military camps into a living museum of consciousness. Already a business plan and research has been completed. This will be an anchor of social cohesion, nation building and economic development. It is also set to be a national healing centre for military veterans who need counselling services. State of the District Address Amathole District Municipality Page 2 We are rehabilitating a number of heritage sites of our struggle heroes like Duncan Pikoli, Z.K Matthews house, the DDT Jabavu house and developing the heritage route and signage in the amount of R 2, 1 million. The ADM has continued with the process of Repatriation of Heritage Property and we successfully started the process in the last fi nancial year. As a result, an agreement is expected to be concluded with Lesotho during the end of the fi nancial year. Through the Oral History Collection programme, the municipality embarked on a district-wide oral history collection with the aim of recording and documenting the memories of various people within the district to various aspects of social, political, historical and cultural issues. An amount R100 000 has been utilized for such. A Catalogue on the District Liberation Route Summit has been developed during this year of reporting. This is aimed at demonstrating our continued drive not only to celebrate our liberation victory but also the capacity to recognize historical landmarks that contributed to our political freedom. Although Land Restitution is a national competency, we have since managed to form part of the Settlement Agreements which are aimed at restoring land rights to persons or communities dispossessed of such rights after 19 June 1913 as a result of past racially discriminatory laws. In this regard, the conclusion of such agreements made Amathole District Municipality to be an implementing agent and we are pleased to announce successful land rights claims despite some ongoing disputes. In line with the Freedom Charter that states “There shall be houses, security and comfort” as well as Section 25 of the Constitution that recognizes the right of access to adequate housing; we have made strides in the human settlement development. The ADM has developed an Integrated Housing Development Strategy to ensure District wide co-ordinated delivery of housing for our seven local municipalities to perform their housing function effi ciently and effectively. Furthermore, the ADM took the initiative of complying with the Housing Policy and Legislation by lodging an Application for Accreditation Level 2 on Housing Programmes. In paving the way for such added responsibility, the ADM has started to embark upon a human resource capacity assessment exercise, whereby the outcome will inform how the Housing Business Unit should be structured. Various initiatives linked to spatial planning have been embarked upon so as to harmonise the municipal space in a corrective forward planning. These include the Zone Plans in Mnquma, Mbashe, Nkonkobe, Ngqushwa and Nxuba being developed to a total amount of R2 million. Somlomo; It is becoming crystal clear that – through its gains and by advancing Education, Health, Job Creation and Rural Development - this country and in essence, our beloved District in the hands of the African National Congress is in capable leadership. Kucace gcaa ukuba lombutho oosimelele ngqindilili ngembumbano kanxantathu weSouth African Communist Party neCOSATU; usinika uMkhomba-ndlela negunya lokuba sisebenzise i-Freedom Charter ngendlela emsulwa nefanelekileyo yokuhanjiswa kweenkonzo. State of the District Address Amathole District Municipality Page 3 Xa namhlanje sibhiyozela imini enkulu ye-Africa Day; sithi ayikho eyonandlela yokwenza njalo eyodlula ukuba siqinisekise ukuba iimfuno zabahlali ziyaphendulwa. Yiyo lonto sengene phantse zonke iilali kweziveki ziphelileyo sikwi-IDP and Budget Roadshows. Sizimisele kwimisebenzi yenguqu ngokuxabisa abangathathi ntweni sibanike isidima nentlonipho. Ayikho indlela eyodlula ukuba uluntu lonke lusixhobise kwaye luthabathe inxaxheba kwimisebenzi yalo masipala. My fellow councillors; We have produced a Metropolitan City in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and we are more than determined to create another Metro in the seven local Municipalities that are within our District. Since its establishment in 2005, our Developmental Agency Aspire has positioned itself as a “trusted advisor, stimulator and partner in the regional economic environment”. We also would