Six years into the drive to transform our society, we are all well aware that sound policy is only the beginning. In the education context the real challenge, you will agree with me, is not to be found in government offices but in schools and community centres and halls -with the learners and educators and parents. That lesson is true of local government as well. The plans and promises that we make are merely the starter and implementation and delivery are the main course. They constitute the biggest challenge, as they take place in the homes and the streets and the community centres where our people are.
Local government is the one tier of government closest to the people.
While national government has committed itself to continuously find ways to better the lives of South Africans, it is at local government level that communities generally expect to see palpable delivery on that commitment. With local government being so much more in touch with the people, it is in a good position to ensure that our children have the necessary tools to equip them for the challenges of the future. Community libraries, for example, have over the years, been a useful service in filling up the gaps left by an inadequate education system. In the light of the expansion of our communities, an expansion in the provision of this service would be most welcome. This should target, in particular, the informal settlements, whose residents are less likely to afford books on their own.