Mpumalanga on track premier

MPUMALANGA premier David Mabuza delivered his state of the province address on Friday. Here is what he said: 88% of households have access to clean drinking water and this reflects an additional 150 933 households since 2011;

90.7% of households have access to electricity;

49% of households have access to the minimum required standard of sanitation, which was inexcusable;

A large portion of the 2016/17 Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) of R1.8-billion will be committed to the provision of water and sanitation. There are 265 projects currently being implemented across the province;

Water supply and sanitation are the most important basic services funded through MIG for poor communities and as such, 58% of the grant, which amount to R1-billion, is prioritised for 149 water and sanitation projects. The remaining 42% amounting to R768-million is committed to 116 projects that will include electricity, solid waste, roads, and sports facilities.

We have completed the bulk water supply systems connecting a number of villages like Hluvukani, Zoeknog, Tsakani and others.

In 2010 we undertook to eradicate 253 of these inappropriate and unsafe structures [in schools] and to date we have replaced 247.

The department of education has invested R4.9-billion and completed a total of 923 projects. Infrastructure investment has grown from R604-million in 2010/2011 to over a R1-billion in 2016/2017;

Over the last seven years. the department maintained and renovated 283 dilapidated and storm damaged schools;

Our unemployed youth currently constitute 71.9% of our total unemployed population;

Our department of health has 42/286 PHC facilities that have achieved an Ideal Clinic status;

We have completed refurbishments at three hospitals including Sabie Hospital, Middleburg Hospital (ward 15) and KwaMhlanga Hospital;

Our patients currently rate their experience of care at PHCs at 82% and the satisfaction rate at regional hospitals is recorded as 87%; and

We have directed the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) to explore the viability of utilising its current mining holdings as a base from which to build a diversified state-owned mining company. We cannot have mining assets that are lying idle and unproductive when unemployment is this high, Mabuza said. –

We cannot have mining “assets lying idle in the province