When Mpumalanga Premier, Mandla Ndlovu, delivers his State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Friday, at the very least, we want him to touch and focus on the following:
1. Economy
Mpumalanga economy is struggling as the recent quarter labour force stats revealed that 47.2% of residents in the province are unemployment, and others have given up on looking for employment.
According to the stats, the expanded unemployment rate in the province increased by 1.4%. This means that approximately 66 862 more people became despondent and gave up hope of finding employment in just one year.
47.2% or 2.4 million people in Mpumalanga have given up hope of ever finding employment that is nearly 50% of this province’s population that is unemployed and not even looking.
Premier Mandla Ndlovu last year in his maiden state of the province address mentioned four areas identified as special areas to create jobs and absorb large scale unemployed youth with very low levels of skills.
Focusing on infrastructure programmes, manufacturing, mining, agriculture and forestry as well as tourism.
The Premier stated the EPWP program is the backbone of creating employment however it is evident this backbone is broken.
As provincial treasury revealed in its latest report budget and expenditure outcomes for 24/25 financial year, that the provincial government missed opportunities in this past financial year to provide job opportunities through the various departments EPWP programs.
Treasury stated that these grants had low, or no expenditure and that the province could lose this grant as National Public works have indicated that with the no spending could result in some departments not getting the allocation or will receive a budget reduction in the next financial year.
The DA expects the Premier to clamp down on MEC’s and Accounting Officers as it is unacceptable that departments are not spending money which is allocated for the soul purpose of benefiting the lives of the people of Mpumalanga.
DA expects the Premier to call for the disbandment of MEGA and MRTT these parastatals do not benefit the people of Mpumalanga. The Premier cannot bail these parastatals out as millions are lost year after year as they are being used as a cash cow for the politically connected.
2. Tourism
Mpumalanga is the place of the raising sun; more and more tourists are choosing to visit Mpumalanga than cape town.
As the Premier mentioned in his SOPA, Mpumalanga is the second most visited province in South Africa after Gauteng.
Mpumalanga had 600 000 more tourists in 2023 than in 2022 and yet Mpumalanga government failed to capitalise on this.
Unfortunately, there is many variables that deter tourists from coming to Mpumalanga, of which road conditions, crimes targeting tourists and badly maintained tourist destinations.
The Barberton Makhonjwa Mountain, the world heritage site. Many tourists miss this amazing and beautiful destination, so sad to see the road signage as well as the educational boards along this route has not been maintained, the DA believes that due to the ongoing political interference causing problems with the WHBMM landowners and MTPA.
It is more evident now that Mpumalanga could lose this world heritage site status.
The DA expects the Premier to crack the whip, with MTPA and MEC Masilela and sort out the longstanding issues with the landowners before this site is nullified.
Furthermore, the DA expects the Premier to give a directive to sell all non-viable state-owned resorts, lodges and game farms and rather put more emphasis and money into the new tourism destinations or activities like the cable car at Blayde River Cannon.
3. Infrastructure
Mpumalanga is becoming poorer because of failed infrastructure projects; this is another area that the provincial departments and MEC’s let the people of this province down.
Decades after decades, Premier after Premier the same projects are announced but never built such are the likes of the School of the Deaf and Blind, the Cultural Hub and many more, millions are spent on feasibility studies and Environmental impact Assessments.
However, projects which have taken several years to be built and still not completed such as the Mpumalanga international Fresh Produce Market, Mapuleleng Hospital, Middelburg Hospital, Mkhondo boarding school.
Priemer Ndlovu and his cabinet are becoming well known for hosting elaborate events and meetings to unveil plans, programs or projects but nothing is implemented such was the case with the new Middelburg hospital it was handed over twice and yet it is still not operational similarly the Mpumalanga international fresh produce market was handed over to Agriculture and still not operational.
The DA expects the Premier to place a moratorium on all new infrastructure projects and focus on completing the existing incomplete projects as well as ensuring that infrastructure grants are spent.
Furthermore, the DA expects the Premier to establish a task team to investigate all infrastructure projects, the tender awarding process as well as the variation orders. As tenders are awarded to the lowest bidder but then a variation order is given which in the end costs the Mpumalanga government millions more than the original approved tender.
4. Crime and Safety
The most recent crime stats released last week, most crimes show a reduction however the ever-increasing cases of rape in the province is concerning, and more worrying is that Kabokweni police station is where most cases of rape are reported.
784 cases of rape were reported in Mpumalanga from the period between October to December 2024. This is an increase to the 774 cases that were reported between October and December 2023. More worrisome is the many of the rape cases were reported to have been committed by people known to the victims, like family and friends.
Premier Ndlovu, announced the appointment of 1200 crime prevention wardens (CPW) to help curb crime, the DA at the time expressed concerns and suggested ideas to ensure that CPW are trained not only in combat crime but also in cybercrime, but this fell on deaf ears.
It is disappointing to say the least that Mpumalanga government used this program as a tick box exercise and placing more of a drain on the already ailing fiscus.
The DA expects the Premier to acknowledge this is a gross oversight and ensure that the CPW are trained correctly before one of gets killed in the line of duty.
5. Corruption and SIU
Never has there been a time such as now where multiple government departments are facing investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, which the DA welcomes.
The DA expects more investigations will take place in the next year as well as expect the Premier to take a no tolerance stance on corruption within his administration and implement lifestyle audits on his cabinet as well as all government officials.
6. On Water Shortages
Over the past couple of years, various municipalities in Mpumalanga have been plagued by water shortages. The reasons for which are various but can be located to old and dilapidated water infrastructure, persistent drought conditions, increasing demand for water and a lack of planning and maintenance on the part of government.
According to a 2021/22 report that was compiled by the Department of Water and Sanitation, it becomes evident that over 60% of the water supply infrastructure in the province is old and made up of asbestos. This results in constant leaks, breakages and disruptions in the supply of water. To make matters worse, Gert Sibande District Municipality has a supply shortfall of 18.45 ML/day and Nkangala District Municipality has a supply shortfall of 88.31 ML/day.
In addition to the above, Thaba Chweu, Chief Albert Luthuli, Govan Mbeki, Victor Khanye and others faced daily water shedding during 2024 because of decreasing dam levels that is related to drought conditions. Given the fact that all 17 municipalities in the province are suffering from persistent water shortages:
The DA expects the Premier, Mandla Ndlovu, to detail a clear plan or strategy that will address water shortages in various municipalities.
However, we can expect him to touch on stalled projects like the Loskop Regional Water Scheme, servicing of sites in Silobela, provision of water in Msukaliglwa as well.
7. Local Government:
Since 2016, eMalahleni and Govan Mbeki have been in a financial spiral as they struggled with poor revenue generation. This inability to generate revenue from the sale of services in turn resulted in an ever-increasing debt to entities like Eskom, Rand Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Using the Eskom debt that is owed by just these two municipalities you find that this debt increased from R990 million at the end of 2016, to being over R15 billion. Despite the severity of the issue and the fact that these municipalities could not stop this financial spiral, the province’s interventions which relied on the drafting and implementing of financial recovery plans failed to yield positive results.
We want these municipalities to be placed under administration that is governed by s139 (1) (b) of the constitution as it is the only way to stop the financial distress these municipalities are in.
However, we expect that the Premier, Mandla Ndlovu, will reiterate the financial recovery approach which has since failed.
8. Agriculture
The Department of Agriculture in Mpumalanga has a critical mandate—to support farmers, ensure food security, and drive agricultural development. However, for too long, promises have been made without meaningful action. It is time for the Premier to put real pressure on the department to deliver on its commitments.
Rural farmers continue to struggle with inadequate support, while the long-promised International Fresh Produce Market remains non-operational. Agri hubs across the province sit idle when they should be empowering small-scale farmers to access markets and grow their businesses. When disasters strike, whether droughts, floods, or pest infestations, affected farmers and communities cannot afford delays in assistance. A sluggish, unresponsive department is failing those who need it most.
The DA expects the Premier to demand accountability and ensure that the Department of Agriculture fulfils its obligations. The people of Mpumalanga deserve a department that acts decisively, supports farmers effectively, and prioritises food security. No one in our province should go to bed hungry while solutions exist but remain trapped in bureaucratic inefficiency.
The time for empty rhetoric is over. Action is needed now.
9. Health
As the Premier stated and the DA will reiterate Health is a right, not a privilege, however it appears that MEC Sasekani Manzini is hell bent on making the people of Mpumalanga believe it’s a privilege as our healthcare facilities have never been in a worse state then now and there is no political will to change the status quo.
In the past three quarters of this financial year there have been more deaths recorded for children under the age of 5 than in previous years.
Maternal mortality rates have increased, the deaths of newborn babies have increased! Mpumalanga is now the province with the highest HIV prevalence!
Mental health is a huge problem in Mpumalanga, many patients are seeking assistance, especially infacility treatment in other provinces.
The DA expects the Premier to fire MEC Manzini! Manzini has had eight years to turn this department around, but the MEC is not serious about the blood on her hands and does not show the political will or capacity to fix the terminally ill department.
10. Education
Learners need to read for meaning by the time they reach grade 4 however Mpumalanga schools recorded the third lowest in south Africa.
Learners and teachers in this province are doing the best they can despite dealing with shortages of teachers, furniture, Learner teacher supply materials (LTSM) schools and classrooms.
In the recent crime states schools are being seen as soft targets and are burgled more than businesses and churches.
One of the Premier’s dreams in his SOPA address was to eradicate pit toilets in our schools, of which art the time Mpumalanga had three. If the Premier and MEC Dlamini were serious in returning dignity to our learners all pit toilets could have been eradicated by now!
The DA expects the Premier to not announce again the building of the deaf and blind school but to announce the breaking ground and when the building will commence.
The DA expects the Premier to stop the lip service regarding special schools but ensure these learners are not seen as governments stepchildren but give them the special attention they deserve and get the 126 learners of Masinakane back in school. We cannot allow that administrative issue to stop learners from learning.
11. Social Development
This province has a poverty headcount of 3.5 out of 5. The March 2022 Socio Economic Review & Outlook of Mpumalanga report shows that 50.8% are living below the lower-bound poverty line of R810 per month.
Little is being done to address social needs in Mpumalanga although it is one of the most important regarding raising children.
The DA expects the premier to seriously address the issue of poverty, as more residents are becoming more reliant on substance abuse and this province as they feel hopeless as unemployment rises and with the limited treatment facilities unable to cope with the influx of addicts needing help.
The DA expects the provincial Gender based violence and femicide structure launched last week to be a functional structure with a budget and appoint professional people to ensure that GBVF gets the focus it deserves, and victims receive the support they need and not become another cash cow for ANC cadres.
In conclusion
The DA expects Premier Mandla Ndlovu to stand up and lead this province. It appears that the Premier is trying to keep his cabinet and party happy and tends to follow and not lead.
It’s time for the Premier to take the lead and start changing the status quo and making the people of Mpumalanga the priority!