During his recent State of the Province Address (SOPA), the Limpopo Premier, Stan Mathabatha, blamed the poor state of the province on the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Limpopo had already fallen into chaos long before the pandemic as a result of rampant cadre deployment, mismanagement and corruption.
Sugared words and empty promises will not help raise Limpopo like the proverbial phoenix from its ashes.
It remains doubtful whether the Premier has the political will needed to put an end to cadre deployment and the looting of taxpayers’ money in municipalities, particularly against the backdrop of how few municipalities obtained a clean audit report from the Auditor-General.
Municipalities’ functioning is seriously hampered by corruption, mismanagement and incompetent officials who put their own interests before service delivery to communities.
The FF Plus is interested to see what municipal services will look like in the so-called smart city, Nkuna Smart City, which will be developed in the Capricorn District Municipality, seeing as most Limpopo municipalities are unable to deliver the basic services.
The youth are Limpopo’s future, but the quality of education in the province is too poor to offer them a real opportunity to fully develop their potential. Limpopo’s matric pass rate for 2021 (66,7%) was the worst in the country.
The Premier boasted of a whole list of new road infrastructure projects, but would do well to add the following roads, which contribute greatly to tourism, agriculture and Limpopo’s overall economic advancement, to that list:
• Marken – Baltimore – Maasstroom (R561)
• Tomburke – Swartwater – Alldays (R572)
• Northam – Koedoeskop (D1235)
• Marble Hall – Siyabuswa (R573)
• Groblersdal – Stofberg road (R33)
The Premier, furthermore, focused on agricultural projects for the future, but failed to say what he is going to do to ensure a stable environment for existing commercial farmers to thrive in Limpopo.
This sector contributes greatly to sustainable economic growth and the creation of job opportunities in the province.
Economic development and growth will not be attained as long as infrastructure and basic service delivery keep deteriorating.
In addition, abolishing the ANC’s failed policy of Affirmative Action (AA) and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) will enable the province to reach its full potential.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Marcelle Maritz on FF Plus
