Gauteng has more jobs and is becoming a better place to live, Premier Mbhazima Shilowa said on Monday.
”A better Gauteng is in the making,” he told the opening of the provincial legislature in his state of the province address.
By March last year there were about 3,3-million jobs, an increase of 426 000 jobs in four years, said Shilowa, promising to make even more of an effort in this regard.
”While the increase in the number of jobs is not yet enough to provide work for all new entrants, retrenched workers or those who are underemployed, we are satisfied that our interventions are indeed having an impact on stimulating economic activity and reducing unemployment and poverty.”
The provincial government spent more than R1-billion buying goods and services from black-owned businesses in 2005, which Shilowa said had helped to create jobs.
”Work on the Gautrain continues to gather steam,” he said. ”By the end of January 2006, 1 800 jobs had been created and it is estimated that 20 000 more jobs will be created during the next financial year.”
Shilowa listed a range of improvements in the standard of living for those in Gauteng.
Incomes were up, with an increase in average personal income from R248 564 to R327 211 between 2001 and 2006. Gauteng residents took home about 35% of all personal income in the country last year, and the share of income received by Africans in Gauteng increased from 37% to almost 40% of the total.
Average per capita income in Gauteng was more than 80% above the national average. The province’s per capita income increased 75% in six years to R50 911 in 2006.
Informal dwellings declined from about 19% to 14% between 2002 and 2005. By 2004, about 90% of Gauteng households had electricity.
”All of these confirm that, while some of our people still have no jobs, shelter, water and sanitation and live in abject poverty, a better Gauteng is in the making,” said Shilowa.
There are about 9,5-million people living in Gauteng in about 2,983-million households, a 17% increase in households in the three years to 2005. More households were added with the incorporation of some cross-border municipalities.
Housing
By June there will be no more bucket toilets in Gauteng, Shilowa said. He told the legislature that just 29 households still use the ”abhorrent bucket system” and these will be gone by June.
”Of the 12 332 households identified last year as still using the bucket system, 12 303 of them now have decent sanitation.”
Shilowa said that in the next financial year, 25 159 serviced sites will be provided in informal settlements and 58 552 houses will be built. ”Together this will benefit close to 300 000 people.”
Mixed-income settlements are being built in at least 13 areas ”to promote social integration and to create opportunities for the poor in the mainstream housing market”.
The Alexandra renewal project will be extended to the end of the 2009/10 financial year. So far, R1,2-billion has been spent on this, and there are currently 26 infrastructure projects and 12 housing projects being implemented in Alexandra.
Health
Gauteng wants to increase by 60% over the next year the number of HIV-positive people getting antiretrovirals, Shilowa said. ”We hope to increase the number of people on antiretroviral treatment to 70 000 by March 2008,” he said.
More than 44 000 people have been put on antiretrovirals in Gauteng since the programme started two years ago.
The prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme is available across the province, at 223 clinics and community health centres and 22 hospitals. ”The number of women accessing this service increased from 87 546 in 2004 to 124 398 in 2006,” said Shilowa.
”In the coming year, this programme will be further strengthened by increasing the number of sub-districts providing testing of babies by the polymerases chain-reaction method — a laboratory method using molecular techniques to provide more accurate and faster results for the diagnosis of HIV.”
Post-exposure prophylaxis for rape survivors is available at 54 medico-legal centres.
This year, the province will distribute 60 000 female condoms and 13-million male condoms a month.
World-class event
Gauteng’s preparations for the Soccer World Cup are under way and offer the province good opportunities, said Shilowa. He said the first phase of refurbishment of the George Thabe, Sinaba and HM Pitje stadiums was finished.
”We plan to complete phase two of Sinaba and HM Pitje stadia by the end of the next financial year and ensure they comply with all the Fifa standards so that they are available for use as practice venues for the tournament.”
Fan parks are being developed for watching matches. ”In July this year the concept of fan parks will be piloted when the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown will be turned into a fan park for the Telkom Challenge matches.”
An integrated 2010 plan for Gauteng is due to be launched at the end of March. Shilowa said the plan’s launch will also be used to showcase the economic opportunities available to the private sector.
”The forthcoming Fifa 2010 World Cup holds prospects for us to provide a world-class event, while dealing with our priorities such as accelerated economic growth, job creation, poverty alleviation, stadia, road and transport infrastructure, and safety and security.”
Gauteng’s hosting of Soccerex, the largest soccer business exhibition in the world, over the next three years will be used to show the province’s readiness for the World Cup.
Shilowa said tourism was up, with 10% more foreign tourists in the country in 2006 that in 2004. Half of all international tourists visit Gauteng. Four more visitor orientation centres are planned. ”The new attractions will be located on the R512 close to Lanseria, on the Hendrik Potgieter route to the Sterkfontein Caves and in the Magaliesberg village.”
The Dinokeng game reserve will open next month. – Sapa