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MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER OF THE NORTHERN CAPE, MS HAZEL JENKINS, ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE OUTCOME OF THE RESEARCH ON THE FOETAL ALOHOL PREVENTION PROJECT 8 FEBRUARY 2012

Pogramme director
Members of the Media
Introduction
FASD PREVENTION PROJECT IN DE AAR

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is caused by women who consume alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol is harmful (teratogenic) to the developing organs of the unborn baby. The baby’s brain is especially susceptible to the damaging effects of alcohol, therefore a child with FASD will always present with brain damage. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the most severe form of Foetal and Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Children with FAS are smaller in size compared to their peers and for their age, they experience learning disabilities (due to the brain damage) and interpersonal relationship problems. This is a life-long, irreversible condition, but 100% preventable if only women can abstain from the use of alcohol during the entire pregnancy.

South Africa, and specifically the Northern Cape, has the highest reported Foetal Alcohol Specimen Disorder Prevalence Rates in the world.

In De Aar, the FASD Prevalence Rate used to be 120/1000 (12%). Due to a comprehensive FASD Prevention Programme undertaken by the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research since 2002, this rate has dropped by 30%. This is the first ever reported drop in a FASD community prevalence rate in the world.

The Foundation for Alcohol Related Research (FARR) only conducts programmes on invitation and was invited, by the Northern Cape Department of Health and the community, to assess the FASD problem in De Aar and to assist with the management thereof.

The FASD Prevention Project in De Aar commenced in 2002 with a FASD Prevalence Study amongst Grade 1 learners involving all the schools in De Aar. This provided the baseline information. It was followed by an intensive community awareness drive, whereby FARR strived to involve all possible stakeholders like the Departments of Social Development, Health, Education, etc., other NGO’s, community and church leaders and the community at large. The community awareness programme comprised an extensive media campaign; training of professionals and community members and door-to-door dissemination of information. Critical to this programme was a responsible trading campaign with licensed taverners by the Department of Social Development and partner in De Aar. FARR’s aim was to strengthen and complement the existing structures in this community and to capacitate the various role-players so as to ensure maximum impact and sustainability.

For the past 3 years the main focus has been to assist the pregnant women in this area to have healthy, substance abuse free pregnancies so as to ensure that they give birth to healthier and FAS-free babies. Coupled to this programme is a project aimed at stimulating children already diagnosed with FAS symptoms to reach their maximum potential.

This Healthy Mother Healthy Baby Programme© closely links with the Department of Health and the World Health Organization’s Saving Mothers Saving Babies Programmes and the findings can therefore easy transferable to other communities in the Province. The preliminary findings of this intervention indicate that there will be a further substantial decrease in the FASD rate in De Aar.

We extend our gratitude and wish to acknowledge the contribution made by the private sector that funded the project until 2010. Since 2010 FARR has received supplementary funding from the Department of Social Development to the tune of R 380 000 to strengthen the intervention and to align it to the needs of the community and the objectives of the Department.

This De Aar FASD Prevention Project model is now being implemented in the Western Cape Province and the World Health Organization has also shown interest in taking this model to other countries in Africa and abroad.

A Psychologist at Wits University has just completed her doctorate degree on aspects of this project and another doctorate is soon to be finished. Two more postgraduate students are in the process of completing their doctorate degrees on this project.

FARR has recently applied to the Department of Social Development for assistance to conduct a similar study and project in Galeshewe and Roodepan (Kimberley) commencing in 2012. The application has been granted. This will include a FASD Prevalence Study, bringing the Province closer to a Provincial FASD Prevalence Rate, thereby assuring that the Northern Cape will be the first province to determine its FAS prevalence rate. This is vital for all service providers, especially government departments, to plan appropriate service delivery, focussing on high-risk areas, allocation of scarce resources, training of staff and the monitoring of impact of various Substance Abuse Prevention Programmes.

Conclusion

Important to note is that FAS is the only disability that is 100% preventable through the responsible behaviour by mothers by abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy. There are no safe alcohol limits established so this should be strongly heeded to. It is of vital importance that men as well as communities take the responsibility in supporting mothers during pregnancy.

I thank you.

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Address by the Honourable Premier of the Northern Cape Mrs Hazel Jenkins on the occasion of the Provincial Matric Awards, Kimberley City Hall, 05 January 2012
____________________________________________________________

Programme Director
Honourable MEC for Education, Ms Cjiekella
Members of the Executive Council and the Provincial Legislature
MP Charl de Beer
Chairperson and Members of the Portfolio Committee on Education DG – Mr. Justice Bekebeke
Executive Mayors, Mayors and Councillors
Veterans
Canon Russel Visser
HOD Pharasi, Chief Directors, Senior Managers and Departmental Officials
Officials and Members of School Governing Bodies
Representatives of various donors and sponsors
Parents, Principals and Educators
Leaders and Officials of our Educator and Learner formations
Members of the Media
Honoured Guests
Learners
The people of the Northern Cape
Ladies and Gentlemen:


It is truly a privilege to yet again be part of this matric awards ceremony . As I look around, I see beaming parents, proud relatives and friends, and well maybe not so satisfied leadership and officials of the Education Department; - please stay positive, this is not the end of the road, just a bend.

Many of you here today would have been ever present in the developmental and educational lives of our award recipients; Many of you would have been there on the first day of starting school of our awardees, to the last day of high school; helping with homework, preparing lunches, attending parent meetings; and here you are again today:Proud! Happy and Satisfied!

You truly deserve a round of applause!

To the class of 2011: all your hard work has paid off.

Years of hard work have brought you to this moment, this place and this time.

This is your time; Your time is now!

Each one of you has travelled your own road to get here, but you are here together on the threshold of your future.

You are brimming with confidence, filled with unbridled optimism and hope, and ready for the infinite possibilities and opportunities that await you.

What we see in you; what your parents, relatives and friends see in you is the pride and future of our province and our country and our continent.

We are here today, in our numbers because we believe in you; we believe in you because you believe in yourselves.
Today is a celebration of your achievement and contemplation of what now lies ahead.

Your achievements today have availed opportunities for you and given you choices which are yours to take and make.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Ceremonies of this nature are symbolic events where a few exceptional individuals are singled for direct recognition, but where at the same time we are celebrating something much bigger.

These awards and many similar ones must therefore be seen in the context of promoting better performance in all our learners and should serve as an incentive for those who follow.

Allow me to pay tribute to a special group of candidates, from especially our previously disadvantaged communities, who through their own performance proved that if all things were equal, each one of our children would be able to perform and excel according to their God-given talents and be the best that they can be.

Ladies and Gentlemen the 2011 National Senior Certificate examination was written by a total of 10 183 candidates in the province; of these 7 002 candidates passed, and 3 181 candidates were not successful, giving the province an overall pass rate of 68.8% which is a decline of 3,6 % compared to the 72.3% pass rate in 2010;

Ladies and Gentlemen these results were not what we had hoped for and expected in terms of the provincial average, but we are finally beginning to witness, for the very first time, the positive results of what we have been aiming to achieve since the advent of our new dispensation -the improved performance of learners from our previously disadvantaged communities.

The 2011 national senior certificate examinations, for the very first time made it possible to only have one Provincial Top Twenty List, based entirely on merit and the true and actual performance of all our learners.

It is worth noting that in this year’s Provincial Top Twenty, a total of seven of our top twenty candidates, which is 35%, are from previously disadvantaged communities. Two of these candidates feature in the top five, with a third candidate making it three from our previously disadvantaged communities featuring prominently in the top ten!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have reason enough today to be proud of our learners and proud of our Province.

In what must rank as perhaps the biggest and best news of this time, deserving of a thunderous applause and a standing ovation, is the featuring of one of our Top Candidates in the NATIONAL Top Ten Candidates in the country; Jamie-Lee Albertrams- Prins, Congratulations!!! We are truly proud of your prestigious and historic accomplishment!!!

In addition to this milestone academic achievement, two of our learners, from our previously disadvantaged communities, from our township schools, are joint recipients of our Top Mathematics and Science awards: Charles Pitso from Dr E.P Lekhela High school is our Top Mathematics Candidate.

Kagiso Scott from Vuyolwethu High school, is our top Physical Science candidate.

Ladies and gentlemen, the overall result is admittedly not the desired outcome, but the overall achievement certainly sets us firmly on course to reach the goal that was set when almost one hundred years ago, men and women, from all walks of life and drawn from the entire population in our land came together to find common ground and common cause to save our country from inevitable ruin.

This is an overall provincial pass rate that we are less than pleased with, yet we are hugely encouraged by the number of positive developments that the performance of our learners, particularly from our previously disadvantaged communities and our disadvantaged schools, in this examination presented us with!

In another interesting development, two of the candidates in the one and only provincial Top Twenty list that we have this year, are twin sisters from the Northern Cape high school.

While these results may not be the desired outcomes, the overall performance of our learners is certainly pointing to a maturing and stabilizing system as more of our previously disadvantaged learners have, this year, recorded milestone achievements in critical subjects.

Ladies and Gentlemen as we continue to celebrate excellence, we must ensure that all our programmes of building quality across the entire system from the Programme for Learner Attainment and The Matric Intervention Programme, continue to be enhanced and extended to , include those of our schools where there is no quality as reflected today by the 38 schools that achieved pass rates below 60%.

MEC Cjiekella,as we build quality across the entire system, we must again ensure like in 2010, that urgent corrective steps are taken to immediately halt the 3% decline in our overall pass rate.

I am sure that the MEC, as would all of us, agree that something more drastic, more urgent and more intense, other than mere lip service needs to be done to ensure good quality, not only in Grade 12, but across the entire system, from Grade 1 right up to Grade 12;

As we have said so many times before, the critical importance of the involvement of parents and our communities in the education of our children cannot be over-emphasised!

And very often the difference between failure and success is the extent to which parents are involved in the education of their children.

As parents and as communities, we have a right and a duty to ensure that our children are at school everyday; that they are in class, they are learning and they are being taught.

We call on our parents, all our parents to report children who bunk classes and are seen roaming the streets!

In the same breath, we also call on our educators to ensure that they do what they must do in our schools and particularly in our classes;

They must teach our children and do whatever else they need to do outside of their official duties, outside, and after official school hours.

We require today, more than ever before, the total and practical commitment of all stakeholders which must go far beyond the usual empty rhetoric to reflect an unwavering determination to see our education succeeding – the Quality and Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC), offers all of us an opportunity to do so.

The QLTC recognizes that the role of parents, educators, public servants and the community at large, is central to the consolidation of a culture of learning and teaching, particularly in those of our areas and communities where such a culture is not yet fully entrenched.

Ladies and Gentlemen: We continue to be encouraged by the good performance of many of our schools and our learners in the province, some of which operate under very difficult conditions.

Some of these schools like the 21 schools that posted 100% pass rates continue to perform according to our expectations and beyond;

We certainly hope that many of our schools emulate their shining example, including the six schools that dropped their 100% rating from last year.

We call on all of our young people not to let their socio-economic status dictate and limit their chances of furthering their education and increasing their skills levels.

Ladies and Gentlemen, government, together with our social partners remains committed to ensuring that no deserving young person, from whatever walk or station in life, is denied the opportunity of developing to their fullest potential through a lack of resources.

In this regard, I take this opportunity to express our sincerest thanks and gratitude to the following donors; Assmang, De Beers, FNB, Maskew Miller and SKA foundation, for their continued generous support. Nagomso!

To those of our children who did not succeed, we urge you to rise above this temporary setback and work your way back to success. Many a great man in history did not always succeed in their first attempt, but after persevering and working harder, they came up with some of the greatest inventions in modern life.

You have been given a second chance in the extended May/ June supplementary exams; grab it with both hands and make sure that you succeed this time around.

As you make and take those choices, education remains the great equaliser and the great facilitator.

As you make and take those choices, understand that success in life will not be determined by what is given to you, or what happens to you; your success will also be determined by what you do with all that is given to you; what you do with all that happens to you; how hard you try; how far you push yourself; how high you are willing to reach

Ladies and Gentlemen, true excellence only comes with perseverance.

We understand that you are in the middle of exciting times; you are in an age of a popular culture that says you can be rich and successful without much effort; you just have to become a celebrity!

We live in a culture that tells you there's a quick fix for every problem and a justification for every selfish desire.

As you are about to venture into the real world, the world of adults, the world of work, please be cautioned that meaningful achievement and lasting success does not happen in an instant.

It is the large choices and the small choices that you make that add up over time. It is about the skills you build, and the knowledge you accumulate, and the energy you invest in every task, no matter how trivial or menial it may seem at the time.

Ladies and Gentlemen; as I am about to conclude, today is not a time for long speeches; it is a time for celebration- I wish to offer my final piece of advice to our awardees; always learn to give back and to be part of something bigger than yourselves.

Like many of us, you may feel like you have got enough on your plate just dealing with your own life.

It might be easier to tell yourself that other people’s problems really are not your responsibility.

Let us just pause and think about the consequences of this for our country; if our leaders and founders of the oldest liberation movement in Africa, the ANC, would not have taken a similar approach.

What would have happened if those heroes and heroines in 1912; in 1921; in 1956; 1976, among others, would have refused to sacrifice their lives and volunteer their services for the greater good of all?

As we celebrate with our achievers today, lets us spare a thought to think about those brave young men and women who made huge sacrifices to ensure that the correct assertion contained in the freedom charter that the doors of learning and culture are opened to all, is given concrete expression; and today we reap the fruit of their sacrifices,

We are here today because those people made a noble choice. They chose to step up and answer their country’s call.

Today, through these awards, we are asking you to emulate their good deeds by seeking to have the same kind of impact with your own lives; by pursuing excellence in everything you do; by serving this province, this country and all our people, without fear or favour.

May I in conclusion, take this opportunity to wish everyone present here this morning, your families and relatives, all our partners in the broader education family, everything of the very best for 2012.

Kea Leboga

Baie Dankie

Thank you

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SPEECH BY THE PREMIER OF THE NORTHERN CAPE, MRS HAZEL JENKINS, ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE REHABILITATION OF TRUNK ROAD 5, SECTION 5, BETWEEN KURUMAN AND HOTAZEL ON 7 FEBRUARY 2012

Programme Director
MEC for Roads and Public Works, Mr Dawid Rooi
Head of Department, Mr Kholekile Nogwili
The Senior Management of the Mining Companies namely Assmang, BHP Billiton and United Manganese of Kalahari
Distinguished Guests
Community Members
Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to preside over the commencement of the rehabilitation of this road. This Provincial Administration’s vision for development calls for partnering with the business sector to invest in economic growth to achieve positive results.

The rehabilitation of this important road indeed serves as a milestone towards achieving the infrastructure goals articulated in our manifesto for the creation of an efficient and effective road system that would contribute in improving road safety, regional integration and social economic development.

Programme Director, good roads are essential for the development of commerce, tourism and other services. Apart from upgrading the existing road network, the Government will build new roads to open up those areas that have, in the past, been left behind in roads development.

Furthermore, the infrastructure development sector is an important pillar for the economic growth and development of our nation. A sound road system enables efficient movement of people, goods and services. It facilitates trade between people and across Cities and Towns.

Ladies and Gentlemen, roads are not the only way to communicate and to transport human beings, goods and services in a contemporary globalised world, but are still the most direct and irreplaceable way of connecting citizens at all levels and of allowing their daily work to acquire value in the national, regional and international markets.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our government shares with you the opinion that well functioning road infrastructure at all levels, is an important element in our country’s development process.

This important road, that will be rehabilitated, will allow the business sector and communities to access markets and key services with greater ease and efficiency. I am pleased to be here in person to witness the rehabilitation of this road and to celebrate all the investments in the province that will promote greater trade and commerce both within and beyond our province.

This road, Programme Director, is going to serve the province, the business community and our people better. Our responsibility, therefore, is to make sure that we use the road optimally so that the citizens of our province and country can exploit this resource for social and economic development.

Accelerating infrastructure investment will not only stimulate our economy, but also leave us in better shape for economic growth and to respond to international demands.

The proper maintenance of roads will ensure that we promote their long life span as well as to encourage production and wealth.

Ladies and Gentlemen, no road will last forever without maintenance. Our focus as government is to preserve the assets that we have, thus the rehabilitation of this road. Some roads have got a lifespan of 20 years, and must thereafter be rehabilitated.

We recognise the challenges being faced with the state of many roadways across the Country and are doing the best we can in collaboration with our development partners, in spite of limited resources, to respond to the needs of our people.

Our Government is also committed to the development of road infrastructure, because it is an essential mode of transportation in this country. The results from this huge investment will undoubtedly be most encouraging. Today, our rural areas are being opened for more production. Through better roads, we are making it easier for farmers to transport their produce and access markets. We are also opening up areas with tourism and business potential.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to urge all the people living along the route, and the businesses, to take advantage of the improved road after its completion and increase their production. That is the only way of reaping the benefits of having a good road. The improvement to this road, together with the developments that will arise from this undertaking, should enable this region to grow economically.

Programme Director, for me, one of the exciting aspects of this project is that it is a prime example of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together.

This project is made possible through support from our development partners namely, Assmang – R30 million, BHP Billiton – R17 million UMK (UNITED MANGANESE OF KALAHARI PTY.LTD) - R12 million. In total R69 million was sponsored by these mining companies. They certainly deserve a hearty round of applause.

Public private partnerships are something you will hear the Government, and me in particular, talking about a lot – for we believe PPPs are very useful mechanisms to help with the quick and efficient construction and maintenance of infrastructure, including roads.

Once more, I want to sincerely thank our partners for their assistance by financing this road rehabilitation project.

I am confident that these laudable efforts will continue so that this project becomes a success for the benefit of all our citizens.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who is involved in this project: the designers, the engineers, the heavy equipment drivers, the workers, everyone involved - and that includes the local communities.

I know what the benefits of your hard work will mean to our province and country and it is therefore my fervent hope that the progress we will witness will be sustained, thereby creating greater opportunity, growth and prosperity here and throughout the entire province.

I thank you

Ke aleboga

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Remarks by the Honourable Premier of the Northern Cape, Mrs Hazel Jenkins, on the occasion of the Breakfast Meeting with Ambassadors, on 10 December 2011 in Kimberley

Programme Director
MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, John Block
Our Esteemed Goodwill Ambassadors
Ladies and Gentlemen,

In my capacity as Premier of the Northern Cape Province, it gives me great pleasure indeed to offer a special word of welcome to our group of Goodwill ambassadors, who are joining us here this morning. I am sure that most of them need no introduction and we are delighted that they are all back home – even if it’s only for the weekend.

When we initially conceptualised the Goodwill Ambassador programme, we considered what the most distinctive resource of the Northern Cape is – and realise that it is undoubtedly our people. Then we turned our attention to locally born individuals, who have made their mark in various aspects of social life, and started pondering how we can use their influential public profiles to grow and develop this amazing province.

Once we started approaching leading celebrities in the entertainment industry, prominent entrepreneurs and business people and sport stars, we were immensely pleased with their immediate response. These individuals, or our “Northern Cape Diamonds”, have heeded the call to form a vibrant public-private partnership with the Northern Cape government.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this group of people are committing their time, expertise, immense experience in their various fields, as well as their enormous goodwill to ensure a better future for the people of the Northern Cape. For this commitment, I would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to each and every one of them.

The people-centred, caring society we are building, where African values of sharing and co-operation are paramount, is dependent on your selfless contribution to the well-being and happiness of others.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this week heralds an extension of our initial negotiations and will hopefully see some concrete plans for the way forward. I can only dare imagine what the sharp business brains and immense sporting and creative talent of this group can bring to the table and the inspiration they can offer, especially to the youth of the Northern-Cape not only in terms of economic development, but also social and sport development.

Programme Director, I believe that the Northern Cape is close to the hearts of each and every one of the Goodwill Ambassadors and that they will continue to plough back into the communities, where they once started. Our former President, Nelson Mandela, once stated that “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special. Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation….”

To all the Goodwill Ambassadors:

We salute you for your laudable efforts, the time and the resources that you are dedicating for the upliftment and improvement of all our communities .

I thank you.