Premier raises concerns over Leda’s regression

Having delivered his recent State of the Province Address (Sopa) at Jack Botes Hall, Premier Stan Mathabatha convened a presser at the Polokwane Council Chamber to respond to follow-up questions from journalists.
Asked how the Provincial Government was planning to decrease the unemployment rate and create jobs for young graduates and unemployed citizens he responded by saying a lot needed to be done for Limpopo to fight unemployment and grow the economy and stressed that it was disappointing that the Limpopo Economic Development Agency keeps regressing whereas it is one of the agencies that should help create jobs and grow the economy. He gave examples on a number of economically stable countries such as China and the United States saying they did not achieve their riches overnight and reiterated that the current administration has to invest a lot of time in sectors that will create jobs. In his speech he had revealed that 35 000 jobs had been lost in the fourth quarter of 2017 making Limpopo one of five provinces to have recorded significant job losses in the same period. Mathabatha stated that he was confident that more jobs would be created through the mining industry and the planned Special Economic Zones.

When addressing issues relating to health, Mathabatha said several public hospitals and clinics did not have laundry facilities. He was confident that the filing system in health facilities would be made simple as about 270 public health institutions have access to broadband connectivity.
Mathabatha stressed that sanitary towels should be distributed to every school across the province as condoms are dispensed to public spots in Limpopo. He said he had directed Education MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe to conclude a roll-out plan on the provision of sanitary towels to schools and added that sanitary towels are of profound importance as was the case with condoms.

Story & photos: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za