STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS 2005
Service delivery to be intensified
David Masango
11 February 2005
President Thabo Mbeki used his State of the Nation Address to report back to SA on the service delivery targets he set for his administration last year, saying the country's main socio-economic projects were progressing well - with many expected to accelerate in the next few months.
The government currently provides social grants to over nine million beneficiaries countrywide, to the tune of R50-billion per annum, and has already provided water to the 10-millionth recipient, with 75% of the country receiving 6 000 litres of free basic water monthly.
In addition, more poor households continue to receive free basic electricity each month.
Mbeki said that through the Department of Provincial and Local Government, the government would further increase the capacity of municipalities to provide services and extend the social security net for the poor.
Acknowledging that there had been delays in delivering on some of the commitments made
during last year's State of the Nation address, Mbeki vowed that more effort would be put into clearing the backlogs.
The President pointed to the government's new housing strategy, that seeks to deal with a range of housing challenges facing the country, from homelessness to financial assistance, identifying wide-ranging issues to be addressed over the next five years.
These include the revision of subsidies, rental housing, quality housing, the eradication of informal settlements, financial and construction sector partnerships, and consumer education.
Regarding the provision of classrooms, Mbeki acknowledged that the government had failed to meet its 2002 commitment to ensure that, within three years, no child would be studying under a tree.
"The same applies to the commitment we made last year that all schools would have potable water and sanitation by the end of this financial year", he added.
To deal with this and other backlogs, the President
committed the government to various goals this year.
"We will update the schools register of needs and iron out the rough creases among the implementing agents within and across the spheres of government to ensure that we meet the objective of safe classrooms and healthy environments in our schools in as short a time as possible", he said.
Other commitments include allocating additional resources over the next three years to cover outstanding claims in the land restitution programme, and completing discussions with Eskom, provincial governments and local municipalities to ensure that free basic electricity is provided to all South Africans with the minimum delay.
The governement will also seek to improve the capacity of municipalities to ensure that the target of providing sanitation to 300 000 households per year is met as from 2007.
"We will continue the battle to ensure that all citizens have access to affordable medicines, and intensify the programme to
refurbish hospitals and provide more professionals, especially in rural areas", Mbeki added.
Source: BuaNews
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