SPEECH DELIVERED BY

 

THE HONORABLE MINISTER – TINKHUNDLA ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT

WORKSHOP ON STRENGTHENING OF REGIONAL COORDINATION

 

Regional Administrators

Principal Secretary (MTAD)

National Director (NERCHA) and Staff

Government officials

Members of the Media

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I greet you all, Sanibonani Bekunene.

 

Let me start by congratulating the three Regions we have visited in the past two weekends for organizing and hosting such a spectacular Ingwenyama Cup cultural festivals. I must be honest we all did not know how these festivals were going to look like, the only thing we knew is that our regions were going to do their best to make Ingwenyama proud and make such festivals  the success that they have been. I am so glad that you all exceeded our expectations. This coming weekend we are going to Manzini and we are looking forward to an exciting entertainment and yet another spectacular and glorious culture Ingwenyama Cup.

 

I believe you all know that the success of Government's programs depends on a strong and efficient Regional Administration. It pleases me that when we approached our development partners to support my Ministry in particular UNDP and NERCHA to develop a proposal on how strengthen co-ordination of development and service delivery in the regions, they understood what we were talking about and responded quickly hence our workshop today. Keep up that spirit, we appreciate your continued support.  

 

I would also like to thank my Principal Secretary and officials for using their professional skills in developing the proposed framework we are going to discuss in this workshop. His Excellency the Prime Minister once said that Ministries should start looking at internal existing skills to develop government policy instruments before engaging consultants. The Ministry of Tinkhundla did exactly that and I hope you will agree with me that this is a well written document and demonstrate that given resources we can do so much.   

 

This workshop is a consultative discussion on the proposed Regional Co-ordination Framework and I wish to ask all of you to make contributions so that by the time the document is adopted by Government it is not only a document for the Ministry of Tinkhundla but for one that enjoys support of all the government departments and agencies providing development support and services in the regions. In this workshop we will also share information on the Tinkhundla and Regional Administration Bill. Again this bill is an important instrument to strengthen Administration and co-ordination of development by Regions. I hope you will appreciate the inputs that have been made by several other stakeholders in this bill and also make your own inputs such that by the time we take the bill to approving authorities all possible loop holes will have been closed.

 

I wish you very successful discussions and deliberations throughout this workshop.

 

Thank you.