Gauteng Premier David Makhura delivered a hard-hitting State of The Province (SOPA) address at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus Monday.
Referring to Gauteng as the ‘Paradox Province,’ he said it’s unacceptable for wealth and opulence to reside next to poverty and hunger, and gave his MECs 100 days to develop blueprints charting a way out of the quagmire.
Makhura put his cabinet on further notice: MECs will only spend one day at the office, otherwise they’ll be on the ground in communities sorting out problems.”
“As the Premier, I have spent more time on the ground interacting with communities and frontline service delivery points. We will sharpen this activist approach to governance.”
He said Team Gauteng must be “everywhere, everyday, every hour, and that he will make MEC and HOD performance contracts public.
“If you want to meet me. Don’t meet me in the office. Meet me in the township, where I’ll be sorting out problems,” Makhura added.
Gauteng’s 5 Priority Areas
• Economy, Jobs and Infrastructure
• Education, Skills Revolution and Health
• Integrated Human Settlements and Land Release
• Safety, Social Cohesion and Food Security
• Building a Capable, Ethical and Developmental State
As the main driver of South Africa’s economy, Gauteng needs to do much more to contribute to President Ramaphosa’s initiatives on economic recovery, investment, industrialisation, youth employment and township economy, Makhura said. “We must take a lead.”
He added that joint efforts and collaboration between government and business resulted in “the Gauteng economy attracting R199 billion of foreign direct investment and 469 000 new jobs created over the past five years.”
| Investments and job creation were in the following sectors and corridors – Makhura • Business process outsourcing (BPO) sector grew from 139 100 jobs in 2015 to 154 223 jobs in 2018. • BMW invested R6 billion at its Rosslyn plant – 1 000 additional jobs. • Iveco-Larimar invested R600 million at its Rosslyn plant – 1 000 new jobs. • Ford invested R2 billion at its Silverton plant – 1 200 new jobs. • Nissan invested R3 billion at its Rosslyn plant – 1 000 new jobs. • Coopervision invested R420 million in New Doornfontein – 300 new jobs. • In2Food invested R1 billion at the OR Tambo IDZ – 600 new jobs • FEMSA Manufacturing invested R280 million in Ekurhuleni – 400 new jobs. • TMH Holdings’ R500 million investment in DCD – 300 jobs saved – 200 new jobs. • Gibela Rail Consortium with R1.58 Billion invested – 1 500 jobs. This investment is projected increase to R50 billion – 15 000 new jobs over the next decade. |
“Within 200 Days, I will announce the total number of jobs each sector and company will contribute towards our five-year job creation target.”
On stimulating the so-called ‘Township Economy,’ he said his government will enforce a directive which stipulates that 30% of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s procurement budget must go to township businesses.
Makhura also wants the illegal mining industry – estimated to be more than R14 billion per annum – to be regulated.
“Promulgation of the new Gauteng Township Economy Development Act which will make it easier, affordable and quicker to register, open and operate a business in a township.”
In addition to ongoing efforts being strengthened to tackle priority crimes – gender-based violence, car hijackings, house and business robberies, drugs and farm murders –,” Makhura said drones will added to monitor criminal activity in the province.
He added that last year, 1 266 police personnel and 859 high performance vehicles were added to improve police visibility and response time in Gauteng. In addition, the government will construct mobile police stations where it may take too long to build new stations.
Makhura conceded that “we need to do more to help a larger number of young people to access long term jobs or to establish sustainable businesses.”
The Gauteng government’s plan over the next 5 years include:
| • Placing 250,000 young people into long term jobs in various sectors of the economy. • Drafting 250,000 young people in long term public works employment programmes. (maintenance and repair of public facilities, cleaning and greening initiatives, safety & the care economy. • Implementing government policy abolishing experience requirement for entry level jobs in the public service. • Expanding the welfare-to-work programme to reach 100 000 unemployed young women who are currently dependent on child support grants and empower them with skills to become employed and self-employed. • Continuing with a mass digital learning and digital skills programme to reach over 1 million young people. • Making it mandatory for service providers doing business with Gauteng to hire and train young people. |
On education, Makhura said, a key priority will be to direct more attention at strengthening and improving the performance of primary education in Gauteng.
MEC Panyaza Lesufi has been handed the task of implement the national integrated assessment framework which will, the premier said, will ensure a rigorous assessment of all primary schools. The results of this assessment will be publicly released as we do with Grade 12 results.
School safety is to be elevated to a Premier’s Priority.
He said his administration would take all measures to maximise service delivery and ensure clean financial management. “Stop this thing that you are a municipality of this or that party, there is no municipality of a party municipalities are for the people,” Makhura said
“My government will move with speed to intervene in struggling municipalities, whether ANC or DA “kushibile,” it’s on!!!”
Makhura said government must lead by example and that new MECs would use official cars left by their predecessors as part of the province’s austerity drive.
“There won’t be a New Cars for MEC’s, they will drive them until full life cycles. No MEC will be buying a new car.”
The premier said quality health care to all residents of Gauteng remains one of government’s key priorities, and pointed out that Gauteng’s public health system continues to face a crisis of public confidence.
Makhura’s government was severely criticized for the manner in which it managed or rather mismanaged the so-called Esidimeni Scandal which resulted in the the deaths of 143 people at psychiatric facilities in Gauteng from starvation and neglect.
“I am going to lead from the front in rebuilding public confidence in our healthcare system. You will see me every week, everywhere visiting health facilities in order to ensure service delivery improvements.”
Makhura said the housing backlog in Gauteng is estimated to be 1 million. He said the government has introduced two key interventions: Mega human settlement and the rapid land release programme.
The premier said he will ensure collaboration between municipalities and the province to make available 100 000 serviced stands with minimum building standards, over the next five years.
No more bureaucratic delays. Tired of talking… People need serviced land and they want action now.
Makhura said that all the bold initiatives tabled “will not happen by osmosis. I have been in government long enough now to know that things to get done quick enough in government.”
He added, “I am ready to instil the discipline of execution and perfect the art of government delivery, even if this takes a fight.”
“We must govern like business because governing is very serious business. Poor performance will not be tolerated,” he emphasized.
“The Premier and all MECs will spend more time in hospitals, schools, police stations, factories, township hubs, in the streets fighting crime and in communities getting things done. I repeat, please don’t look for us in government offices.”
