President Thabo Mbeki will visit the Western Cape from 29 - 31 August 2003. The visit is part of the Imbizo, the government's programme of interactive governance aimed at promoting participatory democracy and partnership with communities for reconstruction and development.

The Premier of the Western Cape, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister Ebrahim Rasool and the rest of the provincial executive committee will accompany the President. The Imbizo affords the government the opportunity to see and hear directly from the people how it should better deliver services.

During the visit the President will have an opportunity to assess the progress made by the Coalition Government of the Western Cape in delivering services to the people of the province. He will see the challenges facing the provincial government and the people in improving their lives.

The Imbizo follows a series of similar provincial visits to Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng and the North West where the people were able to interact directly with the President and their provincial government.

While in the province, the President will visit among other projects (see programme below), the crime prevention command centre in Goodwood, a land reform project in Koekedouw, the People's Housing Process in Khayelitsha, the Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre and the Mitchells Plain Retail Park.

The President and the provincial executive will also hold a provincial stakeholders' meeting with representatives from Western Cape business, trade union movements, churches, NGO's and CBO's.

The main Imbizo for the communities of Cape Town to meet the President, the premier and provincial executive committee will be held at the OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha. The communities of Worcester and surrounding areas have been invited to a rural Imbizo at the Pietman Hugo Hall, Klein Plasie, Worcester.

President Mbeki, Premier van Schalkwyk and Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Ebrahim Rasool, will also be participating in an Imbizo-on-Air for an hour on Umhlobo Wenene, Radio Good Hope, Radio Sonder Grense and the provincial community radio stations on 30 August 2003 at 18:00.

As a result of the Presidential Imbizo in the Free State in April last year, Leseding Technical High School has now received more than 30 computers from the Provincial Department of Education and Telkom.

Having listened to the people of Bekkersdal during the Presidential Imbizo in Gauteng, the National Government is working with both provincial and local government to introduce public works programmes in this area. The experience of Imbizo has helped to give impetus to the initiative to introduce the new echelon of Community Development Workers into the public service.

During the President's Imbizo visit to Phiriagae Secondary School in Limpopo in April 2001, he and the Premier heard a passionate plea from a student, on behalf of pupils, teachers and the community, about their desperate need for facilities and infrastructure. Since then the government has constructed an Administration block, a four-classroom block and a laboratory; drilled a borehole; purchased two computers and a photocopier. The school now offers mathematics from Grade 8 to 12.

Through these Imbizo's conducted at all levels of government across the country more than three million children have been registered for social grants.

Following the recent Imbizo in the North West the Young Farmers Agricultural Project in Lichtenburg established by the National Youth Commission has received assistance of about R46 000 from Sasol. As a result the project is moving into an expansion and development phase.

The Imbizo gives concrete meaning to the right to freedom of expression by affording people the opportunity to have their say in determining their destiny. The people of the Western Cape are thus encouraged to actively participate in this process and to take advantage of the opportunity it represents.

Enquiries: Bheki Khumalo
The Presidency
Cell: 083 256 9133

Riaan Aucamp
Office of the Premier: Western Cape
Cell No: 083-778-9923

Harold Maloka
Government Communication (GCIS)
Cell: 082 847 9799

Thabo Mabaso
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development: Western Cape
Cell No: 083-414-8144

Western Cape Provincial Imbizo Programme 29 - 31 August 2003

Day 1

Friday, 29 August 2003

8:00 - 9:00 Clothing, Textiles, Footwear and Leather Sector Education and Training Authority(DTGL SETA) Prestige College/ Textiles Project, Maitland

9:30 - 10:30 CCTV Command Centre, Goodwood

11:15 - 12:30 Khanya Project - Saxonsea Primary School, Atlantis

13:15 - 14:30 Atlantis Forge Factory

15:15 - 16:15 Koekedouw (Ceres) Land Reform Project

18:30 - 20:30 Stakeholders Meeting, Holiday Inn Strand Street

Day 2

Saturday, 30 August 2003

8:00 - 9:00 Mitchells Plain Community Health Centre

9:15 - 10:15 Mitchells Plain Retail Park (Urban Renewal Programme)

10:30 - 11:30 Walkabout Nonkqubela Station, Khayelitsha (Safety/ ID and Social Grant Awareness Campaign)

11:45 - 12:45 People's Housing Process(PHP) Noluthando, Khayelitsha

13:30 - 16:30 Khayelitsha Imbizo, OR Tambo Hall

18:00 - 19:00 Imbizo-on-Air phone-in programme, Umhlobo Wenene, Goodhope, Radio Sonder Grense and Community Radio stations in the Western Cape

Day 3

Sunday, 31 August 2003

10:00 - 11:00 Church Service, Groote Kerk

11:45 - 12:45 Nuwe Begin Shelter, Worcester

13:30 - 16:30 Worcester Imbizo, Klein Plasie