13 April 2006

Deputy Minerals and Energy Minister Lulu Xingwana has encouraged South Africa's rural dwellers to stand up and claim a share of the billions of rands set aside for projects under the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgi-SA).

Addressing hundreds of Bergrivier Local Municipality residents in Cape Town on Wednesday, Xingwana told community members that Asgi-SA was not only for the rich and educated.

The Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa is a set of interventions aimed at raising the country’s economic growth rate to 6% by 2014.

Economic spin-offs
Xingwana said locals should consider the sugar industry as an example of an industry that could have massive economic spin-offs as the country looked to biofuels in the face of rising oil prices.

"It is important that we produce our own fuels to address the problem of global oil price volatility," the minister said.

"We have identified certain agricultural products that would be key in developing our own fuel resources, and funds from the Asgi-SA programme will be channelled to such agricultural projects."

Electrification
During her visit to the community, Xingwana officially switched on a sub power station which was built to electrify the newly built low-cost houses in the area.

She said the community should use electricity not only for their household needs, but also for economic purposes.

"You must take advantage of this electricity and engage in other business projects that can generate income," she said.

However, she told residents that, as much as government wanted to ensure that every rural citizen has access to electricity, it faced challenges.

"Rural settlement patterns and lack of electricity infrastructure is contributing to the slow pace at which electricity is being rolled out in rural areas," she said.

She said that while about 80% of South Africa's urban residents now had electricity, only 50% of rural citizens had access to electricity.

Source: BuaNews

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