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13 March 2008 - FBS Media Statement
The MEC for Local Government and Housing, Mme Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will be embarking on Free Basic Services (FBS) and energy saving Road shows around the Province between March and April 2008. The first road show will be held in Praktiseer at the Greater Tubatse Municipality on Thursday, 13 March 2008.
The purpose of the roads shows is to create awareness on government interventions to alleviate poverty through initiatives such as the Free Basic Electricity (FBE) programme. Through the FBE programme, the government has developed strategies of offering poor households a basic level of free electricity, that is, 50kWh of electricity to poor households per month.
Accordingly, all local municipalities within the province have adopted indigent policies and indigent registers, which indicate which, households qualify for free basic electricity in that municipality. In order to access free basic electricity, qualifying households need to register in the Indigent Register of their local municipality.
During the FBS road show communities will be provided information on how to access FBS and how to save energy. The FBS road shows will be going to the following municipalities Makhado, Lephalale, Greater Giyani, and Polokwane.
For more information, contact:
Clayson Monyela
Tel: (015) 294-2261
Cell: 082 806 7405
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26 FEBRUARY 2008 - THE MEC FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT & HOUSING, MME MAITE NKOANA-MASHABANE INAUGURATES THE LIMPOPO HOUSING ADVISORY PANEL
The MEC for Local Government and Housing, Mme Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, will be inaugurating the
Limpopo Housing Advisory Panel. This Housing Advisory Panel is composed of five members and is
appointed in line with the Limpopo Housing Act 2 of 2006.
The members of the panel are Mr KS Manyathela (chairperson), Mr ET Masete (vice-chairperson), Mr JF
Beukes, Ms JL Malope and Ms MPK Tladi. The members of the panel are appointed for a period of three
years.
The functions of the Limpopo Housing Advisory Panel will be to advise the MEC on housing related matters
, serve as a consultative forum for external role-players to be involved in the policy formulation process
, conduct and manage investigations as requested by the MEC for the purpose of informed decision-making
and perform any other function concerning housing matters which the MEC refers to the Panel.
"The functions of the panel are as stipulated in the Housing Act and do not include issues of
allocation of housing subsidies", said the MEC.
For more information, contact:
Clayson Monyela
Tel: (015) 294-2261
Cell: 082 806 7405
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4 FEBRUARY 2008 - MEC and Ambassador to visit Local Economic Development (LED) projects in Mopani District
The MEC for Local Government and Housing in Limpopo, Mme Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, and the ambassador of the European Union in South Africa, invite all media to join them on a visit to various Limpopo Local Economic Development (LED) projects in the Mopani District on 7 February 2008.
Limpopo LED is a R300 million programme aimed at supporting pro-poor economic growth in the province. Most of the funds available under Limpopo LED are being channelled through three grant funds; i.e. Marginalised Community Fund (MCF), Local Competitiveness Fund (LCF) and the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).
The first stop of the MEC and the ambassador will be at Tzaneen Plastics Recycling Factory, a LED project specialising in recycling plastic and making products for importation to markets in the United States.
The second stop will be at Letsitele Citrus Co-operative in Letsitele, where commercial and emergent farmers export citrus to the European Union.
From there, the MEC and the EU ambassador will visit the Afrikania Pottery in Phalaborwa, also a LED project. Whilst still in Phalaborwa, the MEC and the ambassador will visit the Phalaborwa Mining Company and Phalaborwa Foundation
The visit will extend to the Bollonoto Tourism Centre for a briefing on tourism projects and Business Development and for a briefing on SMME training in the area. The Tzaneen Plastic Recycling Factory received R1 365 000 from the MCF. The Letsitele Citrus Co-operative and the Afrikania Pottery in Phalaborwa were granted R2, 1 million and R1 million respectively, courtesy of the MCF.
MEC Nkoana-Mashabane said: "The projects play an important role in creating jobs and growing local economies."
For more information, contact:
Clayson Monyela
Cell: 082 806 7405
Issued by: Department of Local Government and Housing, Limpopo Provincial Government
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28 JANUARY 2008 - MEC to visit flood victims
The MEC for Local Government and Housing, Mme Maite
Nkoana-Mashabane, will visit flood victims in Lephahale
tomorrow, 29 January 2008.
During her visit, the MEC will also make a major announcement
regarding the families left homeless by severe floods in the
area.
Mme Nkoana-Mashabane will take along blankets and food parcels
to the area.
Transport has been arranged for members of the media wishing
to join the MEC on her visit to Lephalale.
The transport will leave 28 Market Street at 07h30 on 29
January 2008.
For more information, please contact Clayson Monyela on 082
806 7405
Issued by the Department of Local Government and Housing,
Limpopo
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24 January 2008 - Flood alert
The Department of Local Government and Housing would like to
alert residents in the Waterberg and Vhembe regions of the
Limpopo Province about possible flooding, starting on the
evening of Thursday, 24 January 2007.
Areas most likely to be affected also include the Sekhukhune
area around the Flag Boshielo Dam and communities living
adjacent to the Olifants River.
The Department urges residents in the affected areas to be
vigilant and immediately report any indication of flooding to
the following disaster management toll free number, 0800 222
111.
For more information, please contact Clayson Monyela on 082
806 7405
Issued by the Department of Local Government and Housing
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11 December 2007 - My Councillor And I gets recognition
The Department of Local Government and Housing’s public
engagement campaign, My Councillor And I, has received second
and third places at the recent National Government
Communicators’ Awards and Premier’s Service Excellence Awards
respectively.
Through the My Councillor and I campaign, mayors and
councillors in Limpopo interact directly with communities
through Community and SABC radio stations.
MEC Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the recognition given to My
Councillor And I has reinforced the need to intensify the
campaign and broaden it to the print media.
“We also need to congratulate those mayors and councillors who
have made the campaign a success by dedicating time,
sometimes late at night, to interact with communities on
municipal activities,” said the MEC.
The second phase of the campaign will start on the three SABC
radio stations in Limpopo (Mungana Lonene, Phalaphala and
Thobela FMs) early next year, 2008.
For more information, please contact Clayson Monyela
Cell: 082 806 7405
Issued by the Department of Local Government and Housing
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10 December 2007 - MEC Nkoana-Mashabane congratulates
municipalities
The MEC for Local Government and Housing in Limpopo, Mme Maite
Nkoana-Mashabane, has congratulated two municipalities in the
province, Sekhukhune District Municipality and Maruleng Local
Municipality, for the recognition they got in two recent
national award ceremonies.
Sekhukhune District Municipality won first prize in the
category of municipal communication at an annual Government
Communication and Information System (GCIS) ceremony, held on
Friday, 07 December 2007 in Midrand, Gauteng.
MEC Nkoana-Mashabane congratulated Executive Mayor Dickson
Masemola and his team for winning the award, adding that
outstanding performance in the field of municipal
communication will go a long way in ensuring accountability
and transparency.
The MEC also congratulated Maruleng Local Municipality for
being recognised for its Local Economic Development (LED) work
at the recent national Vuna Awards, held on 04 December 2007
– also in Midrand.
MEC Nkoana-Mashabane said: “Hopefully, the awards will go a
long way in motivating municipalities to work harder towards
an effective local government system that delivers quality
services to the people.”
For more information, please contact Clayson Monyela
Cell: 082 806 7405
Issued by the Department of Local Government and Housing
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MAYORS AND COUNCILLORS TO INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH
COMMUNITIES.
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Municipalities are service delivery agents of
Government. Having observed gaps in communications
within some of the municipalities, the department has
embarked on a campaign called My Councilor and I. The
objective is to provide a platform for Councilors to
interact with the communities they serve. This will
allow communities to talk about issues of concern
regarding social development
for intensified service delivery.
This campaign will profile and highlight achievements
and developments happening at community level. The
programme is due to run until the end of June with an
option to extend. The shows will run weekly on SABC
radio stations Thobela FM, Munghana Lo Nene FM,
Phalaphala FM and 10 community radio stations in
Limpopo. The first shows will be aired this week.
The campaign is a strategic response to a call made by
Premier Sello Moloto during his State of the Province
address. The Premier said, it is important for the
leadership to have a dynamic contact with the people in
order to clarify the position and strategic direction
government is taking at any time.
MEC Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has given her support to the
initiative, observing that it will go a long way in
ensuring that we deepen the debate in line
government's theme for the year. The campaign will
strengthen partnerships with communities that will
result in a practical improvement of the quality of
people's lives as they shall have first hand information
on how to access municipal services at local level ,
she said.
The My Councilor and I public engagement campaign is
further proof that in Limpopo we believe that
development is about people.
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Media Release - 14 March 2007
ATT: ALL EDITORS/JOURNALISTS.
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The MEC for Local Government and Housing Mme Maite
Nkoana-Mashabane and the delegation from Malaysia will
address the media on the purpose and outcomes of their
visit to the Province.
Venue: MEC'S Boardroom 28 Market Street,
Polokwane.
Date: Thursday 15 March 2007
Time: 14h00
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| Media Release - 12 March 2007 |
High powered Malaysian delegation visits Limpopo.
During her visit to Malaysia in October 2006, The
Mec for Local Government and Housing Mme Maite
Nkoana-Mashabane extended an invitation to experts in
areas like building construction and infrastructure
development to visit our province. A team of
consultants and technical engineers led by a senior
government official arrived in the country yesterday (11
March 2007) on a working visit. The purpose of the
visit is to interact with senior provincial officials
and those from municipalities on areas like Housing,
Electricity and Water Supply, Roads and Drainage,
Tourism and Other matters of common interest.
The delegation will be in the province from the 11-16
March 2007. During their stay the delegation will also
visit several municipalities where they'll be briefed on
programmes and projects.
The delegation will also pay a courtesy call to the
Premier.
The department of Local Government and Housing is
pleased to host this high powered delegation. This is
yet another indication that the department is committed
to address all service delivery challenges within our
municipalities as we continue with the fight against
poverty and underdevelopment.
Our turn around strategy to address the housing backlog
in the province is unfolding well. The plan includes
completion of blocked projects whilst not compromising
the new projects.
We are hopeful that the interaction with the Malaysians
will help us in developing innovative ways of
fast-tracking housing delivery in Limpopo.
End.
NOTE TO ALL EDITORS/JOURNALISTS.
The MEC and the Malaysian delegation will address the
media on the purpose and outcomes of the visit.
Venue: MEC'S Boardroom 28 Market Street,
Polokwane.
Date: 16 March 2007
Time: 15h30
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11 April 2007 - Polokwane.
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Limpopo MEC for Local Government and Housing, Maite
Nkoana-Mashabane will visit several municipalities in
the province as part of the government's efforts to
interact directly with communities.
The municipal visits programme, which will take place
between 12 and 20 April will serve as platform for
government and communities to discuss ways of resolving
service delivery challenges.
Ms Nkoana-Mashabane said interacting with communities
was an indication that the government was committed to
fighting poverty and underdevelopment, therefore
improving the living conditions of ordinary people.
In this regard, we have committed ourselves to working
with our municipalities to remove blockages that slowed
down service delivery.
We want to ensure that we accelerate the provision of
water, electricity, proper sanitation and quality houses
to our people, she said.
The MEC will be accompanied by senior officials from the
department, including head of the department Leshabe
Rampedi.
Departmental spokesperson Clayson Monyela said it was
important that the provincial government regularly
interacted with municipalities as they were the agents
of service delivery at local level.
Municipalities are the critical point where the delivery
of quality services is executed. For this reason, we
want to ensure municipalities are capacitated to
efficiently and effectively deliver quality services to
the communities they served, he said.
With the implementation of the turn around strategy in
housing beginning to yield positive results, the
government wants to ensure municipalities were on board
to ensure smooth implementation housing programme.
During her visits, Ms Nkoana-Mashabane would also
officially unveil housing projects and hand over keys to
those that have been completed.
The MEC's visit is scheduled as follows: Greater Giyani
12 April, Lephalale 17 April and Elias Motsoaledi 20
April.
MEC Nkoana-Mashabane's visit forms part of governments
imbizo programme.
During this time the president, deputy president,
ministers, premiers, deputy ministers, MECs, mayors,
municipal managers and councillors visit and interact
with communities across the country on wide-ranging
issues relating to government's Programme of Action
(PoA).
Izimbizo also provide a platform on which government and
communities engage on local economic development
programmes.
This unmediated form of communication has proved to be a
successful catalyst for ensuring and fortifying the
implementation of municipalitie's plans and other
integrated programmes for community development. End.
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