By David Masango
GOVERNMENT will intensify its social sector programme this year based on similar programmes that were identified last year regarding improved service delivery and social security, says President Thabo Mbeki.
These include meeting long-term objectives such as the provision of clean running water to all households by 2008, decent and safe sanitation by 2010 as well as the provision of electricity to all by 2012.
Government currently provides social grants to over 9 million beneficiaries countrywide to the tune of R50-billion per annum and has already provided water to the ten millionth recipient with 75% receiving 6 000 litres of free basic water monthly. And more poor households continue to receive free basic electricity each month.
Addressing the second session of the third democratic Parliament in Cape Town today, President Mbeki said government continued to allocate more resources and put in more effort in the provision of services and extending the safety net for the poor.
He said through the Department of Provincial and Local Government, government would further increase the capacity of municipalities in this regard.
Acknowledging that there had been delays in delivering on some of the commitments made during last year's State of the Nation address, in May, Mr Mbeki vowed that more effort would be put into clearing backlogs.
In order to address the country's housing needs, the President pointed to the new housing strategy that seeks to deal with a range of housing challenges facing the country, from homelessness to financial assistance.
The Comprehensive Housing Plan for the Development of Integrated Sustainable Human Settlements has identified wide-ranging issues to be addressed in the next five years.
These include the revision of subsidies, rental housing, quality housing, eradication of informal settlements, financial and construction sector partnership and consumer education.
Regarding the provision of safe classrooms, in 2002 government committed to ensure that within three years, no child studied under a tree. Government still lacks behind in this regard.
Mbeki alluded to the editor of City Press Mathata Tsedu's suggestion that the country's schools infrastructure programme would not be realised even within the set time frame. "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 said. However, to deal with this and other backlogs, the President committed 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 vowed.
Other commitments include allocating additional resources over the next three years to cover outstanding claims in the land restitution programme and to complete discussions with electricity giants Eskom, the provincial governments and local municipalities to ensure that free basic electricity is provided to all with the minimum delay.
Government 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," Mr Mbeki added.
Source: Buanews
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