In his State of the Province Address (SOPA) today in the Provincial Legislature, Mokgotsi Lazarus, Premier of the North West, once again failed to offer sustainable solutions to the province’s pressing problems.
It is no secret that under ANC rule, North West continues to experience serious systemic problems due to corruption and maladministration on all levels of government. The fact that nine of the eleven provincial departments received qualified audit reports speaks for itself.
The state of the larger economic centres in North West – Matlosana, JB Marks, Rustenburg and Madibeng – paints a clear picture of North West residents’ plight. It is a picture of persistent decline, decay, unemployment and disinvestment due to corruption and maladministration.
None of these problems will be resolved without the decisive eradication of the culture of corruption and self-enrichment still thriving in ANC ranks.
Most notably, the Premier made no mention of the grand promises of job creation he made in last year’s SOPA.
Madibeng residents are still waiting on the promised 20 000 job opportunities that were supposed to be created by the Mekgareng Smart City development in 2025. Not a single sod has been turned.
Likewise, Matlosana residents are also still waiting on the 10 000 job opportunities that investments by China Africa Precious Metals and Harmony were supposed to create.
Mokgotsi did indicate that the unemployment rate in North West decreased. He failed to mention, however, that 50% of the province remains unemployed. He also did not point out that the drop can largely be attributed to temporary (seasonal) employment in the agricultural sector and limited duration contracts in the construction industry.
The same can be said about employment by the government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), which is more of a social support programme than sustainable job creation driving economic growth.
It is clear that the ANC lacks the political will, or the ability, to tackle the main problems undermining North West residents’ quality of life head-on.
The Freedom Front Plus demands that corruption-free and professional governance, which prioritises sustainable growth, be restored in North West.