Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s lofty plans to develop the financial system will stay a pipe dream if the core issues deterring funding, similar to crime and unclear insurance policies, aren’t fastened, says Democratic Alliance Gauteng chief Solly Msimanga.
“Traders are hesitant to place their cash right into a province the place crime is rampant and the federal government’s financial insurance policies lack readability. With out a secure, safe surroundings, no quantity of job-creation programmes will succeed,” Msimanga mentioned in response to Lesufi’s state of the province tackle, delivered on Thursday.
Msimanga mentioned Lesufi’s authorities of provincial unity was failing to develop the financial system due to its incapability to clamp down on rising crime and corruption and repair the poor roads within the province.
The provincial authorities contains the ANC and several other smaller events, together with the Inkatha Freedom Celebration, Rise Mzansi and the Patriotic Alliance.
The ANC holds seven essential portfolios, whereas the minority companions have every been allotted one portfolio. Collectively, they maintain 33 out of 80 seats within the provincial legislature. The provincial unity authorities excludes the DA, which holds 22 seats and the Financial Freedom Fighters (EFF) which has 11.
Lesufi mentioned his authorities was “arduous at work to arrest the proliferation of land invasion and unlawful mining; to stamp out drug dealing and drug use; to eradicate the tradition of employed killings … to eradicate the possession of unlawful firearms; to stop automotive highjacking”.
He mentioned it could attempt to guard youngsters and ladies from perpetrators of gender-based violence, kidnappers and human traffickers.
The federal government’s funding in legislation enforcement, together with the availability of recent autos, helicopters and drones, was a part of a broader technique to deal with these points.
“We’re arduous at work to create a safer Gauteng for all residents,” the premier mentioned, acknowledging that, whereas progress had been made, rather more wanted to be executed.
He mentioned Gauteng, the nation’s financial hub, had managed to draw investments value greater than R137 billion from world firms, banks and meals firms. The provincial authorities was arduous at work addressing electrical energy provide shortcomings, he added.
“To this point, in slightly below six months since this dedication, now we have put in 485 transformers throughout Ekurhuleni, the Vaal, Johannesburg, the West Rand and Tshwane. This has introduced a lot reduction to communities which have languished with out electrical energy,” he mentioned.
“To this point, 28 of our well being services, together with clinics, hospitals, group healthcare centres and 5 colleges, have an alternate power provide. In propelling our plan ahead, we launched precedence areas for part 2 of the power response plan which crafts a roadmap to determine a further 3 000 megawatts so as to add to the nationwide grid.”
However Msimanga mentioned Lesufi’s administration was not successful the battle to cut back employment within the province, which is at 38.6% based on the information from Statistics South Africa this week, with youth unemployment as excessive as 50%.
He mentioned the Nasi Ispani programme, touted by Lesufi as a speedy response to joblessness, had didn’t ship tangible outcomes.
“The premier’s lofty guarantees imply little if they don’t seem to be backed by efficient motion. We’re seeing extra individuals out of labor, not fewer, and that’s a direct indictment of this authorities’s failure to create a conducive surroundings for financial progress,” Msimanga mentioned.
His criticism comes towards the backdrop of the latest termination of contracts for 32 000 instructor assistants who had been employed by the provincial authorities for the previous two years.
The termination got here regardless of earlier guarantees from Lesufi that these contracts can be prolonged by one other 12 months. “It is a devastating blow to hundreds of younger individuals who relied on these jobs,” Msimanga mentioned.
“The Gauteng authorities has successfully turned its again on its dedication to deal with youth unemployment.
Lesufi mentioned the termination of the instructor assistants’ contracts was a tough choice, explaining that fiscal constraints made it obligatory.
“We’re proud that we had been the one province that prolonged their contracts so long as we did however the actuality of our fiscal state of affairs pressured us to make powerful selections,” he mentioned.
EFF Gauteng chief Nkululeko Dunga mentioned Lesufi’s promise to ship options to the province stays a “slogan fairly than a substantive technique”.
“Gauteng continues to document the best crime ranges within the nation … The province additionally has the best charges of violent crimes (1 787 within the final quarter), together with sexual crimes (over 20% of the nationwide whole),” he mentioned, including that the Nasi Ispani initiative was a publicity stunt geared toward garnering votes.
“We name on the Gauteng authorities to keep away from leaving these younger individuals in limbo and as a substitute discover options to return them to work and place them in different skill-building and employment programmes throughout the province,” Dunga mentioned.
Regardless of the terminations, Lesufi mentioned over the previous yr practically 130 000 beforehand unemployed residents had secured jobs by way of authorities initiatives.
He mentioned the Gauteng authorities had signed a R1.1 billion settlement with the Nationwide Expertise Fund and an R8 billion take care of the Unemployment Insurance coverage Fund to reskill practically 500 000 unemployed individuals.
“Whereas we realise the potential of this programme, the fiscal constraints are a actuality that may solely be overcome by aggressively exploring funding alternatives and partnerships,” Lesufi added.