PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma yesterday formally launched the National Comprehensive Rural Development Programme in Muyexe village in Giyani, near Thohoyandou. The programme is a joint venture of the government and private sector aimed at fighting poverty, hunger, unemployment, and a lack of development in rural areas. About 21 projects were identified by the community, with the help of the Mopani district municipality, to benefit local people.
Earlier this year the government pledged more than R2,6billion to improve the lives of rural people through the programme. The money will be used for infrastructure such as upgrading and reinforcing the full service of agricultural colleges, training, advisory services and marketing. Addressing more than 9000 villagers Zuma said the launch of the programme would ensure that at least one person from each household in Muyexe was employed . He said the project would also ensure that employees received training for six months. He said this would help employees to feed their families for two years and become employable long after the end of the project.
Zuma said the government had the responsibility to ensure that the five priorities outlined at the ANC’ s Polokwane conference in 2007 were realised. “It is the obligation of the government to ensure that those in rural areas also have access to electricity, water, flushing toilets, roads, entertainment and sporting facilities,” Zuma said.
Muyexe was chosen as the pilot area where the government would allocate resources to better the lives of the community and fight underdevelopment. The programme is also poised to be the main tool of the Public Works Department to create 500000 jobs before the end of the year as promised by Zuma. Limpopo alone is expected to create not less than 29000 jobs, and Muyexe in particular is earmarked to play a pivotal role in fulfilling this objective.
Source: The Sowetan
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