Free State: Premier of the Free State province, Mxolisi Dukwana, led the Social Compact Imbizo at the Sand du Plessis theatre in Bloemfontein yesterday, 12 July 2023.
The imbizo reflected the executive council’s first one hundred days in office. Members of the Executive Council were also allowed to outline their plans for their respective departments.
Premier Dukwana called all departments to work in unison to speedily address challenges in different communities.
Some of the points raised at the imbizos included:
Department of Health
The department is soon going to digitize patient files. Head of Department, Godfrey Mahlatsi, said plans were afoot to ensure patient files were stored digitally. The advantage is that this initiative will create work for Information and Communication Technology graduates.
The department also intends to use an application that will monitor and track ambulances to improve response time. The HOD also said the department was working hard to ensure that every ward in the province has an ambulance to respond to medical emergencies rapidly.
Department of Public Works and Infrastructure
MEC Dibolelo Mance said the department has 30 engineers and 50 artisans. This, she said, allows the department to design buildings, which in turn saves them money on consultants. MEC Mance further said they have identified five buildings which will be installed with solar panels and, in the process, save money on electricity bills.
Department of Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlement
MEC Ketso Makume assured residents that critical posts such as those of Municipal Managers and Chief Financial Officers will be filled at the end of the month of July.
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
MEC Saki Mokoena announced that the department had employed agricultural graduates and has further sent more for further training.
Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation
MEC Limakatso Mahasa said the department is making use of sporting legends to unearth fresh raw talent in the province.
MEC Mahasa also announced that the department had engaged professional football clubs such as Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs to send scouts to the province to search for talent.
DESTEA
MEC Thabo Meeko said the decline of gold reserves, particularly in Matjhabeng local municipality, does not mean the end of mining. He said large deposits of other mineral resources, such as platinum, have been discovered in the province, and these, he added, will be used to create employment and grow the economy.
Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport
MEC MaQueen Letsoha: Mathae said her department had addressed corruption, resulting in implicated officials resigning from work.
She also said to deal with potholes, the department has partnered with the Central University of Technology to teach 650 young people how to fix them (potholes). MEC Letsoha – Mathae further said the department, together with the South African Police Service, had a meeting to address stock theft.
Department of Social Development
Head of the Department, Advocate Tumelo Phahlo, said the department has safe houses where abused women and children can find refuge. He also said they are working with other departments to create employment, as the department was spending almost R1 Billion on social grants
.
Department of Education
MEC Makalo Mohale said the department has focused on the development stages of children’s education, which ultimately reflects in their Grade 12 results. He further said all children in the province have a right to education, as enshrined in the constitution, and he will work hard to ensure that children are not denied an opportunity to study.
In closing, Premier Dukwana reminded all government officials that theirs is to serve society and to do so with compassion.