Deputy President David Mabuza, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team established to respond to issues raised by Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, will on Friday, 16 September 2022, visit Mafikeng in the North West Province, to engage with Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders.

The meeting is a continuation of the provincial visits the Deputy President has been making in order to resolve some of the challenges raised by the sector and ensure that Traditional and Khoi-San leaders play their role in rural development, social cohesion and nation building. 
 
Through these engagements, government is committed to work together with Traditional and Khoi-San leaders to mobilise communities in the fight against poverty, inequality, unemployment, diseases and illiteracy.  

Deputy President Mabuza will be joined by the Premier of the North West Province, Mr Bushy Maape; Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr Mcebisi Skwatsha; Deputy Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Obed Bapela; together with Members of the Provincial Executive Council.
 
The Inter-Ministerial Task Team was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to provide institutional mechanisms to support dialogue, achieve consensus and build a social compact between Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Government and other relevant stakeholders.

Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:

Date: Friday, 16 September 2022
Time: 10h00 (Media to arrive at 09h00)
Venue: Provincial House of Traditional & Khoi-San Leader, Old Parliament Building, Mmabatho, Mafikeng


Media enquiries: Sam Bopape on 082 318 5251

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President David Mabuza will tomorrow, 15 September 2022, respond to questions for oral reply in the National Assembly. 
 
Questions posed to the Deputy President by members of political parties represented in Parliament cover issues on Eskom and the transformation of the energy sector to achieve long-term energy security. 
 
A question on specific measures that are underway to curb illegal mining activities has also been posed to the Deputy President. 
 
To this end, Deputy President Mabuza will outline various measures that Government  through the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster has taken to deal with the economic crimes that are negatively affecting the mining environment and the economy.   
 
In addition, the Deputy President will brief Parliament on the outcomes of the recent  Communal Land Summit and how Government intends translating the Summit resolutions into practical actions that will develop and grow rural economies. 
 
Furthermore, as Chairperson of the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans, the Deputy President will appraise Parliament on progress made up to so far in resolving the issues raised by the military veterans.
 
Details of the National Assembly Sitting:
Date: Thursday, 15 September 2022
Time: 14h00
Broadcast: Parliamentary Service Channel on DSTV 408
 
 
Media enquiries: Linah Ledwaba on 066 240 7635
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President David Mabuza has departed to Nairobi, Kenya to attend the inauguration of President-elect, H.E. William Samoei Ruto, taking place on Tuesday, 13 September 2022. 

President-elect Ruto invited President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has since delegated the Deputy President to represent the Government and people of South Africa at the inauguration.  

South Africa and Kenya enjoy strong bilateral relations, which are mutually beneficial and underpinned by common values and principles. 

The inauguration follows the peacefully held national elections on 9 August 2022 wherein H.E. Mr. Ruto received the majority of votes to become the fifth democratically elected President of the Republic of Kenya.


Media enquiries: Matshepo Seedat on 082 679 9473 / Matshepo@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President David Mabuza, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), will address a meeting of the Council taking place on Thursday, 08 September 2022, at the Sedibeng TVET College, Gauteng Province. 

The meeting will take stock of the progress made since the fourth HRDC Summit that took place in August 2021 as well as discuss the Council’s performance in implementing its mandate.

On the agenda of the meeting is the Digital and Future Skills Strategy. The Strategy seeks to address the development of digital skills relevant for the 21st century in South Africa, from early childhood development to post-school education and training, in the workplace and across the entire society. This will also cater for young people not in employment, education or training.

The Council will also discuss Entrepreneurship in Basic Education from Grade R-12. The Department of Basic Education was mandated by the Council to implement Entrepreneurial Education in schools to enhance the entrepreneurial capacity and instil an entrepreneurial mind-set in all learners.

Furthermore, the meeting will receive an update on the HRDC Strategy, which was revised by the Council to ensure that it adequately responds to the current human resource development context.

Deputy President Mabuza and council members will be taken on a tour of Mechatronics and CNC Turning and Milling. The Sedibeng TVET College is the first college in the Gauteng Province to introduce Mechatronics as a full course. 

Mechatronics is a multi-disciplinary field that integrates mechanical, telecommunication, and computer engineering, frequently using microcontrollers, and involves skills required in advanced automated manufacturing industry.

The HRDC is a national, multi-stakeholder advisory body established with the objective of building the human resource development base required to ensure a prosperous and inclusive South African society and economy.

Members of the media are invited to cover the Meeting as follows:

Date: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Time: 08h00
Venue: Sedibeng TVET College, Vereeniging, Gauteng Province.

RSVP with name and ID number to: Linahl@presidency.gov.za


Media enquiries: Matshepo Seedat on 082 679 9473 / Matshepo@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President David Mabuza, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team established to respond to issues raised by Traditional and Khoisan leaders, will on Thursday, 25 August 2022, visit the Free Province in Mangaung, to engage with the Traditional and Khoisan leaders.

The Inter-Ministerial Task Team was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to provide institutional mechanisms to support dialogue, achieve consensus and build a social compact between Traditional and Khoisan leaders, government and other relevant stakeholders.

This is a continuation of engagements that the Deputy President has had with the sector flowing from  the National Dialogue held in Pretoria under the auspices of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders. That National Dialogue culminated into provincial engagements in Limpopo and currently in the Free State, with the aim of finding collaborative solutions to the challenges that impede development in rural communities.

Through this ongoing engagements, government is committed to work together with Traditional and Khoisan leaders to mobilise communities in the fight against poverty, inequality, unemployment, disease and illiteracy.  Traditional leadership plays a prominent and influential role in the growth of our economy, the creation of employment and the transformation of our society.

Deputy President Mabuza will be supported by the Premier of the Free State Province, Ms Sisi Ntombela, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Mr. Mcebisi Skwatsha, Deputy Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Obed Bapela together with Members of the Provincial Executive Council.

Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:
Date: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Time: 10:30 (Media to arrive at 10:00)
Venue: President Hotel, 1 Union Ave, Bloemfontein
 
For more information and accreditation contact Sam Bopape on 082 318 5251 or Palesa Chubusi on 078 063 7945.
 
Media enquiries: Sam Bopape on 082 318 5251

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President David Mabuza will tomorrow, Thursday 18 August 2022, respond orally to questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), in line with the constitutional provision that members of the Executive are accountable to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and the performance of their functions.

To this end, the Deputy President will apprise Parliament on measures the Government has taken to process flood-relief funds in eThekwini. On efforts to intensify the fight against corruption and maladministration, Deputy President Mabuza will further outline the progress made in the appointment of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

As Chairperson of the Political Task Team on Eskom, Deputy President Mabuza will update members on progress made in improving energy security following the President’s announcement on the National Energy Crisis Committee, as well as interventions undertaken to implement a targeted programme to address rising municipal debt to Eskom.

The Deputy President will also update the National Council of Provinces on steps taken to strengthen the capacity of municipalities, and outline actions taken to revive, restore and fulfil the economic potential of small towns and rural areas. 

Details of the NCOP Sitting:

Date: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Time: 14h00
Venue: Virtual Platform (Channel 408 on DSTV)


Media enquiries: Matshepo Seedat on 082 679 9473 / Matshepo@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President David Mabuza in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Agriculture will give a keynote address at the Female Farmer’s Dialogue launch to be held in Thaba Nchu, Free State Province on Thursday 4 August 2022. 
 
The event is in line with this year’s Women’s Month theme; “Generation Equality; Realizing Women’s Rights for an Equal Future”, as it brings together Female Entrepreneurs who are subsistence, smallholder and those who have reached commercial level from across the various districts of the province.  
 
The event will be preceded by a visit to the De Plante Flowers, a project that specialises in vegetables and cut flowers. The Deputy President will then pay a courtesy visit to the Barolong boo Seleka Royal Palace (Ga Kgosi).
 
The government has prioritised women-owned projects for the 2022/ 2023 financial year and will handover letters of support to 31 women-owned projects in the province.
 
The project is an initiative of the Free State Premier Mme Sisi Ntombela and MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Mr. Thembeni Nxangisa in collaboration with the African Farmer’s Association of South Africa (AFASA). 
 
Members of the media are invited to cover the launch as follows: 
Date:      Thursday, 04 August 2022
Time:     10h00
Venue:   Milton Farm, Thaba Nchu, Free-State
 
For media accreditation, kindly contact Ms Pulane Tsupane on 0713022495 or pulane.tsupane@fspremier.gov.za. 
 
 
Media Enquires:  Matshepo Seedat on 0826799473/ or Palesa Chubisi on 0780637945.
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr David Masondo,
Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr. Pravin Gordhan,
Commissioner of SARS, Prof. Edward Kieswetter,
The Auditor-General of the Republic of South Africa, Ms. Tsakani Maluleke,
Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, Mr. Kuben Naidoo,
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, Mr. Joe Maswanganyi,
Director-General in The Presidency, Ms. Phindile Baleni,
Judge Dennis Davis,
Leadership and staff of the South African Revenue Service,
Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a privilege for me to address you on the SARS silver jubilee. It marks 25 years of success for one of the state’s finest institutions.

At the dawn of democracy in 1994, we consolidated the apartheid government’s Inland Revenue and Customs department with the Inland Revenue and Customs departments of the former homelands. And so, the South African Revenue Service was born in October 1997.

Since its inception, SARS has provided the democratic government with the financial resources to fulfil the promise of freedom, and to create a better life for all.  

We were fortunate at the time to have had visionary and astute leadership that brought together different capabilities, bureaucratic structures and policies to create this most potent symbol of hope.

We welcome today all those who led SARS in its early days.

Bringing together these varying institutional, political, and socio-economic outlooks characterised by the deep divisions of the past, must have been the most significant challenge you faced at the time. 

I want to express my gratitude to all who provided the necessary leadership to this glorious institution of our democracy.

From its inception, SARS has been guided by a strong philosophical orientation of serving a higher purpose, rather than just collecting rands and cents.  

The institution has always understood that it is at the centre of our efforts to improve the lives of society’s most vulnerable.

Beyond its revenue and compliance mandate, SARS was created to have a transformative impact.

This is thanks to the revenue collected by SARS.

During the COVID-19 pandemic government supported businesses in distress with tax relief measures that were well administered by SARS

These measures were intended to prevent factory closures, job losses and ensure that the livelihoods of workers could be safeguarded.

None of these financial interventions would have been possible were it not for the excellent work of the committed employees at SARS.

Since its formation in 1997, SARS has been able to collect over R18 trillion for government to provide to fund various programs that have supported the lives of South Africans.

When one compares the amount of R1.6 trillion collected by end of March 2022 to the R147 billion SARS collected in 1996/1997, one becomes aware of the enormously impressive work that is done by SARS.

This accomplishment is due to the passion, commitment and focus by the staff of SARS to bring to life the higher purpose I referred to earlier.

In the words of the celebrated newspaper journalist, the late Aggrey Klaaste, the employees of SARS are truly nation builders.

I have said on many occasions that we must do more to improve service delivery to our people, to root out corruption and ensure that our economy recovers.

All these matters are being addressed with urgency and purpose, because our people deserve far better.

To the SARS staff, you are our unsung heroes who have continued to carry out your patriotic tasks during the most difficult of times, such as the global financial crisis of 2007/2008, our country’s economic difficulties, the period of State Capture and the COVID-19 pandemic, amongst others.

South Africa owes you a debt of gratitude - Re a leboga, thank you, dankie, siyabonga.  

We are also grateful for the assistance that SARS received in its formative years from others such as the Swedish tax authority, the Australian and Canadian revenue authorities, and many others.

This assistance helped to accelerate the pace of learning for SARS during that early period.

Unfortunately, none of those lessons could not have prepared SARS to protect itself against well-orchestrated capture by self-serving individuals who were not only unbothered by the higher purpose I spoke about but were in fact hostile to it.

In 2018 I instituted the Commission of Inquiry headed by Judge Nugent to investigate the state of a revenue collector that had deteriorated from a world class institution to one in which taxpayers and the public no longer had any trust.

We saw an unfortunate decline in revenue performance in the years 2014 to 2018.

It became clear to us that this important institution of our democracy had been repurposed to serve the interest of corrupt and politically connected persons.

The most damning finding of the Commission of Inquiry was that there was a massive failure of governance and integrity at SARS, facilitated by the deliberate dismantling of tried and tested organisational arrangements.

I undertook to implement all the recommendations that were made by the Nugent Commission of Inquiry. I know that the Ministry of Finance, the National Treasury and SARS have implemented many of the Commission’s recommendations.

The few that are outstanding will continue to receive the attention of my administration and the relevant institutions.

I wish to thank Judge Nugent, his team, including the Evidence Leaders, for doing an excellent job in providing the recommendations that has assisted Commissioner Kieswetter and his team to restore the integrity of SARS, to improve efficiency and to regain public trust among taxpayers, traders and all stakeholders.

For SARS to deliver optimally on its work, it is critical that all taxpayers and traders comply with their legal obligations.

Over the past few years, SARS has been accessing data locally and across the world to help the organisation to detect and act against non-compliant taxpayers and criminal syndicates.

To those compliant taxpayers who meet their legal obligations, I salute you. It is your compliance that enables SARS to fulfil its mandate of collecting all the revenue that is due.

The path of transformation of SARS to what it is today has been a long journey.

The organisation went through many iterations, remodeling and operational shifts, and will continue to do so as a growing and maturing institution.

From the early days of Siyakha, which transformed SARS from an inwardly focused administrative orientation through the first phase of technology modernisation, we now have a SARS that aspires to be a smart, modern institution that is “beyond reproach, trusted and admired”

SARS is an excellent example of a government entity that is efficient and effective.

The encouraging progress of rebuilding SARS is evidence that it is possible to arrest and rebuild ourselves from the deep damage we suffered during state capture. 

I would like to encourage SARS to continue in this vein, and to inspire other government departments and entities to follow suit.

It is crucial that SARS continues to pursue its mandate without fear, favour or prejudice.

To Commissioner Kieswetter and to the more than 12 500 SARS staff members, I wish to thank you on behalf of all South Africans for your efforts.

We are all proud of this institution that plays such a pivotal role in the life of our nation.

Happy 25th Anniversary to the South African Revenue Service.

I thank you.

Programme Director,
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane,
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor,
Co-chairs of the Women Economic Assembly, Dr Futhi Mtoba and Ms Namhla Mniki,
Country Representative of UN Women, Ms Aleta Miller,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Women in business,
Leaders of industries,
Members of the diplomatic community,
Donors, partners and friends,
Delegates,
Guests,
 
Good morning.
 
It is a great honour to address the 2nd Women Economic Assembly.
 
When we convened the first Assembly last year, we were starting out together on a journey not only to improve the lives of South African women but to fundamentally transform our country.
 
The economic empowerment of women is truly transformational with far-reaching benefits for our economy and for our society.
 
This 2nd Women Economic Assembly is about turning our words into action, translating commitments into reality, and turning promises into concrete projects, opportunities and jobs for the women of South Africa.
 
It is essential to understand the context in which this Women Economic Assembly is taking place.
 
Next month we will be convening the 2nd Presidential Summit on Gender-based Violence and Femicide, where we will be taking stock of progress in implementing the National Strategic Plan to end GBV.
 
As we know, women’s economic empowerment is pillar five of the NSP, and the Women Economic Assembly is a key mandate of the plan.
 
Therefore, the outcomes of this year’s Assembly will inform the assessment we need to make on progress in fighting gender-based violence.
 
This Assembly is also taking place as we implement the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to grow our economy, support livelihoods, create jobs and recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
And while the pandemic may be in abeyance, unemployment is not.
 
As Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said yesterday, the pandemic’s devastating impact on lives, jobs and livelihoods lost will continue to be felt for some time to come.
 
And it continues to be women that bear the brunt.
 
We know that more women are unemployed than men.
 
In the second quarter of 2022, 47 per cent of South African women aged between 15 and 64 years were recorded as economically inactive.
 
This means that almost half of the working age women in South Africa are out of labour force compared to 36 per cent of their male counterparts.
 
We know that most African women with jobs are employed in low-skilled, low-paying and insecure jobs.
 
We know that poverty is higher among women.
 
It is therefore critical that this Women Economic Assembly must produce outcomes that uplift, empower and expand women’s access to all levers of the economy.
 
In six months, we will be marking 20 years since the passage of one of the most important pieces of legislation of our democratic history, the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act.
 
Black economic empowerment cannot be separated from women’s economic empowerment.
 
We cannot transform racial patterns of ownership of the economy without changing gendered ownership patterns and control.
 
This is what the Women Economic Assembly is all about, to change this.
 
While we have made substantial progress since the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act was passed two decades ago, we must still have much more to do and much further to go.
 
A significant part of the work that lies ahead is to elevate the role and status of women within the economy, in all sectors and at all levels.
 
At yesterday’s panel discussion, Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams spoke about enterprise development being one of those areas in which we are falling seriously short when it comes to women-owned businesses.
 
In some areas, we have been going backwards, on issues like black management control, on skills development, and on giving more opportunities to black women by broadening procurement.
 
For this reason, as government we introduced the target of 40 per cent of public sector procurement for women-owned businesses.
 
That is why the Women Economic Assembly was convened for the first time last year.
 
It was convened to explore collaborative partnerships that will make 40 per cent preferential procurement from women-owned businesses a reality in both the public and private sectors.
 
This year’s aim is to activate public and private sector supply value chains to advance women’s economic empowerment.
 
There have been reports since yesterday on the status of the pledges and commitments made at the Women Economic Assembly last year.
 
It is pleasing to note the depth of commitment of our partners in the private sector to achieve gender transformation in their industries.
 
At the Gender Lens Investment Summit held in July under the auspices of the Women Economic Assembly, the Industrial Development Corporation committed R9 billion towards gender lens investing and the Public Investment Corporation committed R12.5 billion.
 
As the term implies, ‘gender lens investing’ is an approach that considers gender-based factors across the investment process to advance gender equality and better inform investment decisions.
 
Work is underway to establish a gender collaborative fund to provide earmarked support for women entrepreneurs ready to scale their businesses.
 
The automotive sector has also come on board.
 
The Automotive Industry Transformation Fund has committed to allocate 30 per cent of overall spend to advancing gender transformation in the industry.
 
This would total around R1.6 billion over five years.
 
Of 13 transformation businesses supported by the fund in 2022, 8 have been women-owned.
 
The automotive sector has highlighted its commitment towards meaningful capacity building to establish a pipeline of women leaders and owners, including a dealership development programme.
 
This is commendable work.
 
The agriculture sector has been a valued partner, committing to establishing a localised manufacturing infrastructure that will support women-owned businesses and building capacity and skills through training programmes.
 
The Women Economic Assembly encourages a range of sectors to commit to procuring more from women-owned businesses.
 
We expect that more announcements will be made in this regard before this Assembly closes.
 
We have heard presentations on the various value chain opportunities for women-owned businesses in several industries.
 
Indeed, building gender-responsive value chains is critical to a resilient economy because no economy can grow or thrive so long as half the population is excluded from it.
 
Our goal is for more pledges and commitments.
 
At the same time, for sustainability, we have to set and implement targets for gender transformation and the procurement of goods and services.
 
As we look at these targets, we need to also strengthen the ecosystem of support for women-owned businesses.
 
South Africa still has far fewer women entrepreneurs than many other countries.
 
As government, we have trained nearly 6,000 women-owned businesses in essential business skills to qualify in the tender process.
 
Our target is to train 10,000 women-owned businesses.
 
We are committed to using the policy and legislative tools at our disposal, such as employment equity legislation and laws that outlaw discrimination, to improve women’s representation in executive leadership and address the gender pay gap.
 
I am pleased that one of the topics under discussion has been how to leverage the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
 
The AfCFTA is the singular most important opportunity for growth and sustainability in industry for women and young people on the continent.
 
Every effort must be made to ensure that this opportunity is explored and taken advantage of.
 
What we seek to do through the Women Economic Assembly is to provide a platform for ongoing action and to encourage all partners to raise their ambition when it comes to empowering women and women-owned businesses.
 
The number of success stories that have been showcased here shows that we are making a difference where it matters most.
 
This is thanks to the partnerships being forged here between the public and private sectors.
 
Our economy cannot thrive without the full and equal participation of women.
 
That is why the work of the Women Economic Assembly is of critical importance and value.
 
I congratulate the private sector leaders who have taken this agenda seriously.
 
Our approach has been to work in collaboration with you to ensure that your businesses succeed and thrive while at the same time contributing to transformation in our country.
 
It is encouraging to see these excellent results.
 
We hope that this will serve to encourage other sectors to become involved.
 
To women in business present here today, thank you for having faith in our economy.
 
Be encouraged to keep going despite the sometimes difficult environment.
 
It is always the fate of ground breakers to deal with systemic challenges.
 
Yet you are the hope for the coming generations of women business leaders and entrepreneurs, who will benefit from the achievements you have made.
 
I wish to thank all who have been involved in making this year’s Women Economic Assembly a success and congratulate you on a job well done.
 
Let us use this momentum not just to set the tone but to substantially and decisively advance women’s economic empowerment.
 
I thank you.

Programme Director, Ms Tshepang Motsekuoa,
Premier of the Eastern Cape, Mr Oscar Mabuyane,
Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Makgabo Mhaule,
Eastern Cape MEC for Education, Mr Fundile Gade,
Inkosi Gazula Nkantolo, 
Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Mr Sello Hatang,
Director of Impande South Africa, Mr Brian Liggett,
Principal of Little Flower ECD Centre, Ms Nomangesi Dina,
Social workers and educators,
Members of the community,
Abo Mama nabo Tata be lali 
Molweni kuni nonke.
 
I am honoured and happy to be here with all of you today, to see the new, bright and beautiful structure of Little Flower Early Childhood Development Centre. 
 
Even more heart-warming was seeing the cheerful faces and hearing the happy voices of the young ones that I got to speak with today. 
 
These children and all the children of South Africa are our future leaders.
 
They are the next generation of South Africans, who must be able to live up to their full potential as responsible, capable and outstanding citizens of tomorrow. 
 
We cannot leave any child behind. 
 
Early Childhood Development is a comprehensive approach to the development of a child from birth to seven years of age. 
 
It aims to protect the rights of children to develop their full cognitive, emotional, social and physical potential. 
 
In South Africa, there are still many children who are not thriving because they begin life at a disadvantage. 
 
This the case in many of our villages here in the Eastern Cape, in the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality and around the country.
 
Despite the many challenges ECD centres face, they have a long and proud history.
 
Most of these facilities were started by our grandmothers, aunts, sisters and mothers to meet the needs of the community. 
 
Many started out with very little and have since grown. 
 
Some started as day-care facilities for working parents, but have since become fully fledged ECD centres.
 
They have relied on the support of parents and the community and have kept going despite many difficulties.
 
The growth of ECD centres is a fine example of social entrepreneurship. 
 
In nearly every village, town or city there is an ECD centre that is contributing to job creation and to the development of our children. 
 
These are solid foundations we have sought to build upon.
 
That is why government, in partnership with civil society organisations and donors, is working to address the barriers that ECD centres are facing so that every child has an equal chance at a better life.
 
The construction of the Little Flower ECD Centre is the outcome of such partnerships.
 
This is also a pilot site for a new form of ECD centre construction using alternative building technologies. 
 
The more we are able to move with the times and harness new applications, the more centres like this one can be built, using less resources and with greater speed.
 
Over the past five years, the Department of Social Development has partnered with various stakeholders to build 248 ECD centres around the country.
 
The Department of Social Development also introduced the Vangasali Campaign, which is now spearheaded by the Department of Basic Education. 
 
The campaign helps ECD centres to become formalised and supports ECD workers.
 
As of the 1st of April this year, the ECD function was successfully migrated from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education. 
 
This is to link Early Childhood Development to the formal school curriculum.
 
Government is making significant investments in Early Childhood Development. 
 
The National Treasury has allocated an amount of just over R1.2 billion as a conditional grant in this financial year to expand ECD services.
 
This aims to increase the number of children accessing ECD services by subsidising children from indigent families. 
 
It also helps conditionally registered ECD centres to meet the basic requirements needed to be fully registered. 
 
Through subsidy interventions we have been able to support nutrition at the centres, provide for workers to be paid and support the acquisition of learning materials. 
 
Through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, around 54,000 Early Childhood Development practitioners have received support to ensure the survival and reopening of ECD centres in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Since 2012, when the South African government declared ECD to be a public good and embarked on an ECD expansion programme, millions of South African children under the age of 6 have benefited. 
 
We remain committed to our goal of universal ECD access by 2030 and are working hard to achieve it.
 
I want to thank all who have made the construction of this centre possible: Impande, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, traditional and community leaders and parents.
 
Little Flower is a centre of which we can all be proud. 
 
It is a fitting tribute to the icons of our liberation struggle who were born and spent their childhood here, foremost among them being Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. 
 
She was a social worker by training and studied paediatric social work. 
 
Giving families and children the necessary support in the early years was one of her passions. 
 
Were she with us today, she would be proud to see this centre and to see the happy faces of our children.
 
Our thanks go to the Nelson Mandela Foundation and other partners for supporting the Vangasali Campaign.
 
Our gratitude also goes to the Departments of Social Development and Basic Education for their efforts.
 
Early Childhood Development is an area that Dr Motsepe and I have been very passionate about over the years.
 
We will continue to contribute what we can, where we can. 
 
It is the duty of us all to help the children of South Africa to get the best, in order for them to become the best.
 
Let us work together to create conditions in which the life prospects of a child are not hindered by the circumstances of their birth.
 
Let us build on the successes we have made.
 
Let us leave no child behind.
 
Ndiyabulela. I thank you.