Mpumalanga Premier, Mandla Ndlovu, has set the bar high by committing his government to a range of delivery promises. However, the real test for today’s State of the Province Address (SOPA) will lie in its implementation and the capability of our provincial administration to deliver on the promises made.
Like the previous SOPAs in the province, Premier Ndlovu has not said anything new today, nor has he stated what they have done in the past 8-months of his administration.
Youth unemployment in the province is at its highest at 50% and has grown by 8% even after the government invested R257.9 million for only 238 youth owned businesses.
The Premier spoke about the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market becoming operational, but didn’t announce an official deadline.
He also mentioned that they are going to bring President Cyril Ramaphosa down again for the opening of the Middelburg Hospital. But this will be the third opening of this hospital.
He also stated that by the end of the 2024/2025 financial year, not which one, but all clinics and hospitals in the province will be NHI complaint. This is a pipe dream as not a single hospital is NHI compliant at the moment.
He also stated that 6-boarding schools have been completed in the province, but Mkhondo Boarding School is still not completed nor operational after 7-years of construction. He also does not mention the potential closing of Shongwe Boarding School, nor the state of these boarding schools.
The DA is also relieved that Premier has acknowledged the dysfunctionality of local government as well as water provision, but the lack of a tough stance against cadre deployment shows that nothing will change. While water provision in the province is in crisis, the premier’s announcement that the administration would improve bulk water supply and reticulation says nothing about attracting the necessary skills to do so.
It’s old incomplete projects which have not been implemented. He also mentioned that the Department of Water and Sanitation Affairs (DWS) authorised water releases from the Jerico dam for Mkhondo Local Municipality, but he did not state how this will deal with the water backlog that is over 30ml/day.
Previously, there were talks to release water from the Nooitgedacht Dam for water to Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality (CALM) amid their water shortages. But there are now no talks of this.
On the Amsterdam and Sheepmoore bulk water supply scheme. While we can welcome it since we fought for it. The DA questions its ability to address water shortages in Msukaligwa Local Municipality if Mkhondo is also currently experiencing water shortages. What is the scope of the project, R550 million does not seem much- especially if Mkhondo has their own water shortages.
Many of these water projects that the Premier mentioned above are not new, but rhetoric that has no timelines
The DA also welcomes his focus on Tourism and realising the importance thereof. But we are concerned that he did not commit to sort out the management problems at the Barberton Makhonjwa heritage site. Now they want to bring in Private Partnerships, but government is struggling to work with the landowners.
Another concern to the DA is that every year, the Premier speaks about building the Rob Ferreira Hospital Oncology Center, a Rehab Facility, and a Mental Health Hospital in the province, but nothing has come out of it. In the process, we are still but we still waiting for the completion of the new Middelburg Hospital and Mapuleneng Hospital, just to mention a few.
We are greatly disappointed that he did not mention any assistance to financially distressed municipalities, apart from the existing financial recovery plan that has not helped at all. For how long will the provincial government support municipalities with the financial recovery plan will which is not working? They need new solutions not just plans. How will we deal with eMalahleni and Govan Mbeki who currently owe billions of rands to Eskom and Rand Water?
Furthermore, the DA is disappointed by the fact that the Premier did not announce the dissolution of the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA), instead he mentioned that they will coordinate regular investment programmes through MEGA, assisted by a specialist investment company. How long will the ANC use MEGA as its cash-cow? This agency has neither the necessary skills nor expertise to be at the forefront of economic growth in Mpumalanga.
On a positive note, the DA welcomes the focus and establishment of the provincial council for Gender Based Violence (GBVF). However, we hope it does what it needs to do and not be another cash cow for the connected.
In conclusion, the DA has found Premier Ndlovu’s SOPA a compilation of announcements that lack the detail of how they will be implemented. We will, however, closely monitor the administration and establish whether these will be implemented.