CAROLINA – President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Dutch Reformed Church in town to deliver his speech during the presidential imbizo on May 20.

This was the third one, following the ones held earlier this year in the North West and Free State.

The president was accompanied by various officials, including the Mpumalanga Premier, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and the deputy minister of rural development and land reform, Mr Mcebisi Skwatsha.

In his address, President Ramaphosa highlighted on the importance of the district development model (DDM) within Mpumalanga, to strengthen municipalities as part of building a capable, ethical and developmental state.
He said that when implemented effectively, the DDM will narrow the distance between the people and government.

“The DDM represents an all-of-government approach. The model is about integrated and responsive planning, budgeting and implementation to leverage the endowments of the respective districts for the benefit of communities,” President Ramaphosa said.

Business people and farmers were also given a chance to engage with the president, to raise concerns on issues affecting their businesses.

The president assured them that businesses in Mpumalanga will not be forced to close down or to relocate due to the issue of unreliable water and electricity supply, which resulted in the loss of revenue and increased operational costs for some businesses across the country.

“We do not want to see that happening in Mpumalanga. By focusing on service delivery and other challenges at local government, we want to create a more conducive environment for business, for investment and for job creation.”

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