Zuma to visit Free State

Zuma will visit the Diyatalawa and Makgolokoeng Comprehensive Rural Development Project (CRDP) sites as well as the Bethlehem apple project in Qwaqwa to assess how far the project has come.

Diyatalawa was identified as one of the pilot sites for the CRDP projects in the province. It's located on a farm bought from a commercial farmer and has fertile agricultural land and enough water for irrigation, livestock and its inhabitants.

The community has a stakeholder council which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating community projects and is made up of six men and four women.

Together with the three spheres of government, including the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, provincial Agriculture and national Rural Development Departments, the community has joined hands in building itself housing units.

Makgolokoeng, on the other hand, is a settlement located along the N5 between Kestell and Harrismith, approximately 10km from Harrismith on the Sterkfontein Dam road. The project has established vegetable tunnels and created jobs for 30 local women.

"President Zuma will assess the work done so far and the completed projects, which include a re-gravelling of the access road, a new school, formal houses with solar panels, a creche and a multi-purpose sports facility," the Presidency said.

During his visit to the Free State, Zuma will be accompanied by Free State Premier Ace Magashule and MECs, Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti, Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Collins Chabane, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Acting Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa.

Last week, the president was in the Eastern Cape to inspect local government performance and job creation.