As the province joined the rest of the country in the commemoration of Freedom Day, Premier Stan Mathabatha used the Limpopo gathering at Bakenberg Stadium on Saturday to highlight some of the achievements attained since the first democratic elections commemorating Freedom Day on 27 April 1994.
He said government has opened Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Tvet) colleges in every region in Limpopo and those who come from poor families receive free education in these institutions. He further said school nutrition programme, scholar transport and the no-fee school policies remain among the best interventions made by the African National Congress (ANC)-led government. Mathabatha went on to indicate that the feeding scheme feeds almost 4 000 learners in about 380 public schools.
“These are indeed the fruits of the freedom we are celebrating today. It does not end there, this democratic government has introduced a no-fee school policy to ensure that children from poor families don’t have to pay school fees. Over 1,6 million children in Limpopo do not pay school fees. This is what democracy has brought to the people of Limpopo,” Mathabatha stated.
He added that when the democratic government took over in 1994, they committed that they would build an economy which would work for everyone. He reiterated that in the last five years alone, the provincial economy was able to create over 317 000 permanent jobs and built about 43 000 low cost houses for the poor. In the past, piped water, electricity and tarred roads were things of the cities and black people in rural villages were not considered for these basic services, Mathabatha recalled and reiterated that currently almost 95% of houses in this province are connected to electricity.
“Freedom Day is also to celebrate the protection and advancement of human rights which are entrenched in our constitution. We celebrate the right to freedom of movement and association, freedom of expression, religious freedom, freedom of sexual orientation and the right to own property. We celebrate the rights of workers to belong to a trade union, equal pay for equal work, health and safety at work and the right to strike,” Mathabatha remarked and concluded by urging attendees to go out in their numbers on 8 May to cast their votes.
Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
