Good morning!

INTRODUCTION

Let me start by appreciating this opportunity to make the opening remarks to the Premier’s Portfolio Committee.

This is our first engagement following the State of the Province Address as delivered on 24 February 2023.  I wish to appreciate all the guidance and wise counsel we received as we were preparing for the SOPA.  Your contribution has not gone unnoticed.

Hon Chairperson, we used the State of the Province to have a conversation with the people of KwaZulu-Natal specifically and South Africa in general, about several issues in the environment and these were among others the following:

▪ Energy security plan for KwaZulu-Natal;

▪ Job opportunities for young people and mass employment creation;

▪ Strengthening the fight against Crime, Fraud and Corruption;

▪ Faster implementation of the Economic Recovery, Reconstruction and Transformation Plan;

▪ Delivering quality basic services and maintenance of infrastructure;

▪ Building a capable and agile state machinery to drive implementation.

We are now at a point where we are getting boots on the ground implementing the commitments made. In 2023 we will dwell much on sustaining our efforts to drive the digitisation and 4IR in the province, reduce unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living as well as combat crime and corruption.

On Wednesday, we attended the eThekwini Electricity Transformation Summit in Durban which brought together energy experts, business and government to deliberate on securing the energy supply for the province’s largest city and by extension KwaZulu- Natal. The summit was very successful and has indeed shone the light out of our dark present into a brighter future.

AGRICULTURAL INDABA

Tomorrow, we are meeting with the stakeholders in the Agricultural sector, to sharpen our implementation plan to turn our province into a food basket of the country.  Food security and beneficiation of communities in the agriculture value chain will be on top of the agenda.

PROVINCIAL BUDGET DAY

Honourable Members, we are preparing to table the Budget for the province on the 10th of March 2023. The budget will provide resources to meet the commitments made during the state of the province address. The Executive Council at its meeting on Wednesday, received a report and is satisfied with the level of preparations as led by the Provincial Treasury.

MEETING WITH TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP

As we address the portfolio committee we are fresh from a meeting yesterday with Traditional Leadership that we held in Durban where we discussed two dominant issues in that sector being the Murder of Traditional Leaders in the province and secondly, the matter of Remuneration as it relates to the backdated pay for iZinduna.

We can report that the meeting was very productive and cordial and we announced that izinduna will receive their back pay which we as the ANC-led government have worked so hard to resolve.

The above interventions are follow-ups from the State of the Province and the programmes are already being rolled out. As I close, 

Honourable Chairperson as indicated before, we expect that the Department’s Budget Vote 1 will be fully spent by the end of financial year and that we will continue improving audit conditions which will sustain the positive audit outcomes we received last year. We will as requested by this committee present the 2022/2023 third Quarter financial and non-financial report. The 2022/2023 Expenditure to date report, the 2023/2024 APP and budget.  The meeting will further receive reports on the three matters arising from the previous meeting and the reports on the third quarter financial and Non-financial of the ZRHT, these reports will be led by the DG and her team.

With these few words, may I again thank you Hon. Chairperson and Hon. Members of the Committee, We look forward to working in collaboration with you over the financial year and we are pleased to note that we are assured of your full support as we lead this province to a better tomorrow.

I Thank You.