BuaNews (Tshwane)
Bathandwa Mbola
7 October 2008
Johannesburg — The Gauteng administration, under the newly appointed Premier Paul Mashatile, will over the next six months ensure a stable and growing economy in the province.
Delivery his first speech in the legislature on Tuesday, after being sworn in as the premier, Mr Mashatile said: "The economy should create work and other economic opportunities for the growing number of our people.
"Honourable Speaker, we remain on course to achieve our target of 8 percent growth by 2014. Provincially, we are growing at 5.1percent, above the national average."
Before being elected as premier, Mr Mashatile was the province's Finance and Economic Affairs MEC. ANC Provincial Chief Whip Mandla Nkomfe will now take over this position.
Mr Mashatile's election comes after Mbazima Shilowa resigned last week.
The new premier was sworn in by Justice Phineas Mojapelo in a special sitting of the provincial legislature on Tuesday morning.
Identifying key priorities for the next six months before next year's general elections, Premier Mashatile said the province will pay special attention to education and skills development.
Through the Gauteng Global City Region Academy, he told the legislature that the province will ensure that necessary skills required by the state were produced.
"We will also make sure that all public schools become centers of learning and excellence."
Premier Mashatile also identified the fight against crime as another priority, this despite the work done since 1994 in transforming policing services and mobilising people to join the fight.
In this regard, he said he would ensure that the province continues to create a crime-free society.
"In the coming months, we will strengthen our crime prevention efforts by building a strong movement against crime in partnership with our people and civil society organisations."
The province will further intensify the training of patrollers, he said reasoning that "they have a key role to play in the fight against crime."
He also announced that the province has established a crime management center focusing on collecting and analysing information on crime to ensure that there was effective policing and prosecution.
On building sustainable communities, Premier Mashatile said over the next six months they will continue to pay attention, formalise and eradicate informal settlements identified in 2004.
"We will strengthen our programme for the renewal of hostels and convert them into family units," the new premier said.
On providing health for all, he said they would continue to ensure that the poor have access to quality health care.
In the upcoming months, he said they will also work with the Youth Commission as part of strengthening their focus on youth development in the province.
"We will also work with organisations of women and people with disabilities in ensuring that we improve their conditions.
"Our focus is to ensure that we have an integrated approach in delivering services for these important sectors," added Premier Mashatile.
Mr Mashatile praised outgoing Mr Shilowa for his work as premier for the past nine years and said he was taking over a solid and complete house.
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