NELSPRUIT – Mpumalanga should be the foremost tourist destination in the country. This is according to Mr Anthony Benadie, the DA’s provincial leader.
He was speaking at the TUT college on Saturday at the launch of the party’s election campaign, which focuses largely on job creation.
It was attended by Benadie, Ms Helen Zille, national leader of the party, Mr Mmusi Maimane, national spokesman and premier candidate for Gauteng, Mr James Masango, MPL and parliamentary candidate, as well as all the Mpumalanga DA members who appear on the party’s lists for parliament and the provincial legislature.
Zille noted that with Mpuma-langa’s tourism potential, it was the best-kept secret, something that needed to change since this industry created jobs. Zille, who is also the premier of the Western Cape – currently the foremost tourist destination in South Africa – told the press afterwards her province would welcome the competition.
“It is a healthy situation. I love this province. If I didn’t live in Cape Town I would live in Mbombela,” she said.
During her speech, Zille and the crowd chanted, “Phansi Kwabaniza,” which is Swati for “down with corruption”. “The DA will allow people to start businesses to create jobs. We will work together.”
Benadie promised the DA would market the province widely to increase tourism, commercialise all provincial parks and reserves, and save Pilgrim’s Rest.
The party’s leadership again criticised the ruling ANC, especially for the municipalities in the province failing to deliver basic services. Zille said this was detrimental to job creation.
“Nobody is going to invest in a place without clean water and investment is crucial to job creation.”
Benadie said providing people with water was “extremely possible”. He said the responsibility to provide bulk water infrastructure should rest with municipalities that should employ the right people to get the job done. “It is going to be difficult and expensive,” he said.
On education, Benadie said children in rural areas were being let down by the system. One of his proposed solutions was to incentivise top teachers to work in those areas. Asked whether this would not be throwing more money at the best-funded provincial department, he said their proposed measures would improve the outcome for learners.
