Recalibrating social policy
Aim is also to end poverty, hunger
One of the key priorities of Gauteng premier David Makhura is to recalibrate social policy to improve educational and health outcomes, fight crime and protect the most vulnerable sections of the population against urban poverty and hunger.
“As the provincial government, we have always insisted that education is the number one priority in our social policy and human development endeavour,” said Gauteng premier David Makhura.
“The throughput rate has improved from 77% in 2019 to 79% in 2020, accounting for almost eight out of 10 learners who started school 12 years ago having completed grade 12 in 2020.
“This is a mark of progress. Our goal is to increase the throughput rate to 95% by 2030.”
Makhura said that during the year under review the Gauteng government “continued to invest in the modernisation of our education system.
“Over 10,000 classrooms were ICT-enabled, 10,000 LED boards have been installed in classrooms, 20,000 laptops were distributed to educators and 200,000 tablets were distributed to learners,” he said.
The premier said the Covid19 pandemic “has brought home the stark reality that 19% (3-million) of Gauteng residents are unable to meet their daily nutritional needs .
Makhura said the provincial government will intensify work on combating urban poverty, hunger and homelessness.
“We are supporting the creation of community and household food gardens, to ensure that the 3-million foodinsecure people participate in growing food for themselves so that no-one goes to bed hungry.”
The provincial government is also working hard with law enforcement agencies to make Gauteng a safer place for all its people, in line with its commitment to fight crime, he said. The government has also provided additional resources to law enforcement agencies, including 50 cars.
Gauteng will also provide four mobile police stations, which are currently being manufactured.
“The mobile police stations will help the police to provide services in high-density areas,” Makhura said.
The provincial government has also committed to tackle gender-based violence and femicide decisively by providing five community service centres and 11 sedans prioritised for victim empowerment centres,” he said.