29 June 2007
Honourable Guests,
In line with the government's aim to halve unemployment and poverty by 2014, the Expanded Public Works Programme aims to bring unemployed people into productive work. We have identified the need to ensure that while we work tirelessly for economic growth we also narrow the gap between the growing economy and the large numbers of unskilled and unemployed people.
It is our hope that some of you will progress to other levels of health care owing to the qualifications you will receive after completing your training.
We acknowledge that as long as economic growth does not translate into visible benefits to those of our people who are unemployed, such growth will not be sustainable.
The Expanded Public Works Programme is therefore founded on two premises, namely; creation of additional job opportunities and skills development and training which should ultimately lead to formally recognized qualifications.
Government has identified the following sectors as vehicles for implementing the Expanded Public Works Programme. These are:
In the Social Sector our focus is on Home and Community Based Care Programmes and Early Childhood Development. We are convinced that this initiative will go a long way in bridging the skills gap. It will improve the chances of those who are on the margins of formal economic activity into mainstream employment and mainstream economic activity.
Many programmes are being implemented in support of this initiative by government and these are aimed at changing the lives of our people. We have taken a conscious decision to tailor these programmes in line with the aim of creating more job opportunities, deepening the skills base and also stimulating entrepreneurial activity.
We acknowledge that most of our community based programmes rely on the tireless efforts and input of volunteers and civil society organizations and is suitable for the development of the EPWP.
We recognize that a number of programmes present a range of opportunities for job creation. To this end two, namely Early Childhood Development and Home Community Based Care, have been selected as lead pilot programmes for the Social Sector Expanded Public Works Programme.
Last month we launched the Quality Health Care for all Campaign. The objective is to find an integrated approach in terms of training and services, in line with promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting those in need of care.
Both legs of the of the Quality Health Care Campaign are highly labour intensive and currently under serviced. The launch of the Expanded Public Works Programme provide us with an opportunity to work with you as volunteers and to contribute in developing our skills base and capacity to deliver quality service in an area of great need.
I have already gone on record to call you an army of volunteers, cadres for Quality Health Care. I have no doubt in my mind that you are motivated by the desire to see the quality of life of our people improving. This I have witnessed where I have seen the unparalleled dedication and care you show to those you visit in their homes reminding them to take their medication, assisting those who are affected and infected with HIV and AIDS.
I would like to emphasize that Community Based Health Care Services are not being relaunched but we are rather strengthening them because we realise that health begins with individuals, with family units and with communities.
Therefore we are not merely launching a new programme but are extending a programme that exists. We are putting an emphasis on a dimension of health care that seeks to address the disease burden that we are facing. The following programmes are therefore not new:
Community Based Health Care Services will however become the nerve centre of our health care delivery. If we cannot improve the health status of our people at this level we will continue dealing with long queues at our hospitals and clinics.
I would also like to raise a few issues with regard to the nature of work that you are doing and on how you are organized as Community Based Organizations.
I refer to Community Based Organizations deliberately because we believe that for you to have credibility among the communities you work; you have to live in those communities.
You have to be people of good standing in your communities. That is why when we fund we do not focus on national Non Governmental Organizations. We focus on Community Based Organizations because their cadres are known among communities they serve.
I also take this opportunity to announce that we are going to strengthen our monitoring mechanisms in order to minimize incidents of misappropriation of funds that are supposed to benefit the poor.
Those who purport to be doing work at community level and submit fictitious reports will be weeded out and blacklisted from being funded by government.
We will also increase the capacity of Community Based Organizations to report financially and also in terms of service delivery.
Finally, I want to state once more, that we value your contributions to the delivery of Quality Health Care to our people. Bear in mind that future generation will always count you among those who contributed to a healthy population of Gauteng.
I thank you.