MBOMBELA – Premier Mr David Mabuza delivered his State of the Province Address this morning. It was preceded with a fashion parade on the red carpet during which high ranking businessmen, politicians and their partners stole the limelight with their designer outfits and traditional wear.
Click here to view them on the red carpet
Contrary to what happened in the Western Cape recently, he delivered the address without any interference from opposition parties. Mabuza’s address was very focused on the current economic climate and he stressed that it must grow and create opportunities for further development and job creation. He proceeded to highlight certain proposed developments in the province which will stimulate economic growth:
• More than R2 billion has been set aside for the 2015/2016 financial year to develop and upgrade vital foundations for socio-economic development in the province;
• The construction of the 68 kilometre Majuba railway is progressing well and the first coal-loaded train is scheduled to begin operating on May 31 next year. Once completed, this corridor will have cost in the region of R5.2-billion;
• Another R1.7 has been set aside for the construction and maintenance of roads to enhance mobility and support the economy to create employment opportunities. The Moloto Rail Corridor Development Programme has also been approved and Mabuza says it will be a catalyst for stimulating economic growth and job creation, especially in the Thembisile Hani and Dr JS Moroka municipalities.
Mabuza added that he will prioritise strategic infrastructure development initiatives to support the growth of priority sections. These initiatives include:
• The construction of strategic dams to increase the availability of water supply for development. In this regard, Mbombela will commence with processes leading to construction of a dam that will incorporate hydro-energy generation;
• The construction of the Cultural Hub by which government will ensure that opportunities for private sector investment are explored;
• The High Altitude Training Centre in Emakhazeni Local Municipality;
• The establishment of the International Convention Centre. In this regard, Mbombela Municipality has publicly launched the concept and the model of the proposed ICC to entice private sector interest and investment;
• Investing in broadband infrastructure to enhance connectivity.
• Attracting private sector investment for the construction and management of the Skywalk, cable car and Bourkes Luck Hotel as part of the Blyde Development cluster. This project will be packaged and presented to potential investors.
Mabuza said that the agricultural sector remains critical to addressing the developmental challenges that are facing the province. As a predominantly rural province, agriculture remains the province’s competitive advantage to drive growth and job creation.
Tourism
On the tourism front, Mabuza said that the province will prioritise the diversification of the tourism product portfolio, focusing specifically on the Blyde River Canyon, Loskop Dam Tourism Belt and the Barberton Development Clusters.
Various key projects have been identified, including the recapitalization and the commercialisation of Zithabiseni Resort, the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountain World Heritage Site precinct, the rejuvenation of Pilgrims Rest, as well as other themed events and activity based tourism product offerings.
Nature reserves should contribute to economic growth and employment creation and Mabuza admitted that the current model for the management of our parks is unsustainable as it is largely dependent on the diminishing fiscal resources of government. As a consequence, many of these parks operate at a loss. The state of infrastructure is poor and requires huge capital injection for upgrading. “We have come to the conclusion that a different model is required to attract the investment that is critical for the recapitalization and viable operation of our parks. In this regard, we will set up a unit within Mega to conduct a comprehensive assessment of each park and develop a commercialization plan that will attract much needed investment to make our parks viable.”
Health
Mabuza admitted that Mpumalanga still has a lot to do in order to improve healthcare in the province. Progress he referred to, included 19 infrastructure projects that have been completed.
R70 million has been set aside for the upgrading of Sabie Hospital. “In our efforts to address the challenges experienced with the provision of food, linen and waste removal services in our health facilities, I am pleased to record that we have reduced the cost of food provided to the department by 30 per cent.”
Mabuza added that at least 10 modern, high tech hospitals that will revolutionise the delivery of public healthcare services in the province, will be constructed within the next three years. The hospitals will range in size from 400 to 600 bed facilities and will use the latest medical technology available.
Culture
Mabuza described Steve Hofmeyr’s singing of Die Stem at last year’s Innibos as “inappropriate” and said that the province will host the Mpumalanga Cultural Festival as one of the signature cultural events that will bring together the people of the province.
Crime
Mabuza said that 546 tourism safety monitors will be deployed in strategic areas leading to tourism attractions in the 2015/2016 financial year.
