KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Mr Senzo Mchunu 
Minister of Rural Development and Land Affairs, Gugile Nkwinti and all Ministers present,
Deputy Ministers, MEC’s  
Amakhosi aphakathi kwethu! 
Ladies and gentlemen
Sanibonani!  

It gives me great pleasure today to join with the people of uMsinga to launch the delivery of two projects completed by government and an additional project that is to begin.

Rural Development is one of the five key priorities of this fifth administration of a democratic and free South Africa. 

This means that greater focus and emphasis is being placed on the development of rural communities with the aim of improving the quality of life of our people, increasing access to basic services and creating jobs and job opportunities.  

We are moving South Africa forward!

Our government recognises that since 1994, the main challenge for rural development has been the marginalisation of the poor from economic opportunities. 

Rural economy transformation requires us to bring resources to rural areas, such as water, electricity, improved infrastructure and economic opportunities in order to enable rural communities to take charge of their own economic development. 

Twenty years into our Democracy the government remains committed to the promise of improving the lives of all our people and the development of rural communities. 

Great strides have been made in this regard as you the people of Msinga have also witnessed here today. 

Ladies and gentlemen

We have made a substantial investment in rural development since 2009.  

Over R2 billion has been invested in the past five years towards improving human basic needs, developing rural enterprises and providing socio-economic infrastructure.
 
The vision of the National Development Plan is that by 2030, South Africa’s rural communities must have better opportunities to participate fully in the economic, social and political life of the country. 

The vision includes better integration of the country's rural areas, achieved through successful land reform, infrastructure development, job creation and poverty alleviation. 

Vision 2030 identifies agriculture as the main economic activity in rural areas and states that the sector has the potential to, inter alia: create a million jobs by 2030; expand irrigated agriculture to 2 million hectares and establish more than 300 000 small scale farmers and create more than 160 000 secondary jobs in this sector. 

This vision is coming to realization at Msinga.

The refurbishment of the Tugela Ferry Irrigation Scheme is one of 5 prioritised schemes comprising of seven hundred and twenty six (726) hectares of irrigated land along the Tugela River at Tugela Ferry in the Msinga Local Municipality located in the Umzinyathi District. 

The scheme has been divided into plots that have been allocated for the purpose of vegetable production, to improve food security, but also for the sale of surplus produce. 

More than one thousand (1000) small-holder farmers have also benefitted through the scheme and 2000 seasonal farm worker jobs will be created when the scheme is operating optimally. 

During construction 290 jobs were created. 

First constructed over a hundred years ago, the Tugela Ferry Irrigation Scheme was originally designed as a flood irrigation system but it has since been expanded. 

Phase one of the project was completed last year and it included the refurbishment of the infrastructure, repairs to the weirs intake, repairs to the concrete canal, lining of the existing earth dams, upgrading of the infield irrigation system, upgrading of 3 pump stations and the construction of a new pump station.
 
Good progress has been made toward the conclusion of the second phase which includes the upgrading of two additional pump stations. 

This project is due to be completed early next year (2015). 

A total investment of Thirty Nine Million Rand (R39 million) has been made toward its completion.

The Mashunka and Ngubo communities here at uMsinga are separated by the Tugela River.  

Currently, there is no structure to facilitate crossing over the Tugela River, except for a pedestrian bridge further downstream at Jolwayo. 

The distance by road between the communities is about 30 kilometres, with the nearest medical facility to the community being the Mandleni Clinic located at Ngubo. 

Residents of Mashunka have to cross the Tugela River to access the clinic and when the river is in flood, the only access to the facility is by road, a distance of 30 kilometres. 

Community members seeking to access medical treatment and services at the clinic who are often in poor health find it difficult to walk up the steep approaches to the pedestrian bridge. 

The cost of using public transport is therefore obviously higher due to the distance. 

The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in partnership with the Kwazulu Natal Provincial Department of Transport are building a bridge over the Tugela River that is going to ensure improved access to communities in Msinga. 

Preliminary designs for the bridge have been completed and among the many benefits that will result from this initiative will be the direct link from Mashunka to Ngubo that it will provide.

It will thereby bring much needed relief and social benefit to the community of Mashunka. 

In addition to this, the new bridge will provide those engaged in farming activities easier access to markets by ensuring more efficient transportation to take their produce to markets. 

Currently the main bridge crossing the Tugela River at Tugela Ferry is a single lane bridge and is often congested due to high traffic volumes with vehicles travelling through the Tugela Ferry Central Business District. 

The construction of a road will also generate much needed employment opportunities during the construction phase. 

The project is expected to cost an estimated Fifty Five million rand (R 55 million), including Thirty million (R 30 million) for the construction of the bridge to be funded by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform whilst the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport will fund the access road and design costs estimated at R25million. 

During construction it is anticipated that approximately 200 jobs will be created.  

This is indeed a commendable achievement and is a tangible example of how our government is moving South Africa forward.

Creating economic opportunities is an important priority for our government. 

Studies commissioned by the Department of Economic Development have shown that goat production is among the key activities undertaken by residents in this area. 

According to the study some 69% of households in Msinga own goats. One of the interventions to support the development of the economic aspects of goat farming is the establishment of a central marketing facility or a sale yard.

The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform together with the local livestock association spearheaded the construction of a permanent animal sale yard.

This followed the success of an earlier pilot goat auction project using the mobile structures in 2013. 

The construction of this one point nine million rand (R1,9 Million) facility is complete and is today being handed over to the Msinga Livestock Association.

In addition the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, together with the Provincial Department of Agriculture have through the Animal and Veld Management Programme completed 183 livestock infrastructure related projects to support livestock farmers in the Province.

Our people in Rural Areas deserve a better quality of life and through the implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, we are beginning to see a transformation of the rural landscape of our country and an improvement in the livelihoods of rural communities.  

I am certain that these projects will change the lives of many and further catalyse development, job creation and investment in uMsinga.

I thank you.