MIG - Or the Municipal Infrastructure Grant will amongst others replace the Consolidated Municipal Infrastructure Programme (CMIP) the Local Economic Development (LED) Fund, the Water Services Project, the Community- Based Public Works Programme (CBPWP) and the Municipal Sports and Recreation Programme (MSRP).

The Grant is intended to assist municipalities with providing basic municipal infrastructure and community services to low-income households and promoting economic development. The MIG is also intended to assist with overcoming the current problems of inequity in grant distributions, as well as flaws in financial-accountability arrangements.

I am extremely proud of what we have achieved with this programme in this province. CMIP in the Western Cape has excelled with delivery. With the conclusion of the financial year, CMIP has once again managed to allocate its full amount of R183 million to be utilised for infrastructure programmes in disadvantaged areas. Once again, the Western Cape has been acknowledged as one of the best performing provinces in the CMIP programme.

CMIP has now in total (1997-2004) spent R689,1 million on 1063 municipal infrastructure projects ensuring that the most basic needs of the people of the Western Cape are being met. Of the 1063 CMIP funded projects, 162 are in the approval process, 72 in the Design & Tender process, 134 in Construction and 695 have been completed. This is a feather in the cap of our municipalities and I want to congratulate them.

What made CMIP even more remarkable is that in the process approximately 2,4 million person days of employment were created, with 120 107 person days of employment for women, 358 667 days for youth and 1, 9 million days for men.

World-class municipal infrastructure is no doubt the most important first step in building a World Class Province. The key to meeting these needs is the creation and maintenance of quality municipal infrastructure like good roads, a reliable supply of clean water, and the provision of sufficient electricity.

The Department of Local Government will, through MIG, continue to develop and upgrade infrastructure for the disadvantaged communities. With the provision of infrastructure, the provincial government can bring human dignity and self-respect to the poor.

MIG must and should achieve what CMIP did. My call therefore on our municipalities is to grab this opportunity and let us - together, make a difference in the lives of our people.

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