KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has outlined wide-ranging plans for his government focused mainly on boosting the rural economy and developing a multimillion-rand fund to help develop youth and women-owned businesses.
Ntuli delivered his first State of the Province Address (Sopa) at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.
The 18-page address was welcomed by some of the opposition parties, while others said they would adopt a wait-and-see attitude.
The parties will debate the Sopa at the legislature on Thursday.
Ntuli said: “As KwaZulu-Natal, we fully align to the three strategic priorities adopted by the Government of National Unity. These priorities act as both an anchor and a compass for this seventh administration’s programme of action.
“These are, to drive inclusive economic growth and job creation, to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living, to build a capable, ethical and developmental state,” he said.
On driving inclusive growth and job creation, he said: “As we restructure our economy, we will have ongoing discussions regarding the role of key economic institutions, such as the Growth Fund; Ithala Development Finance Corporation; Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal; Agribusiness Development Agency; Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone; and the Dube TradePort Corporation in relation to the employment impact of policy decisions.
“We are delighted to announce that major investment projects to the value of R1.4 billion are under construction in Trade Zone 2 at the Dube TradePort. In the future, we will be injecting R2bn in local economic development by building an Agri-Hub at the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone.
“We will start by injecting R150 million in building the Fresh Produce Market at uMhlathuze Municipality,” said the premier. He said his government would pay deliberate attention to the development of small, youth and women-owned businesses through partnerships and incubation.
“We are mindful of young people who are unemployed, including those that are graduates.
“Following this approach, in August 2024, we are opening a new window for the R100m Youth Empowerment Fund.
“Furthermore, in supporting women in business and those aspiring to be in business, within the 100 days we will announce the KwaZulu-Natal Women Advancement Fund. This will be done in partnership with the private sector,” he said.
On plans for agriculture, Ntuli described it as one of the sectors that are pivotal in fixing the rural economy.
“I have directed the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to work with Amakhosi and all stakeholders in ensuring that KwaZulu-Natal is green with vegetable gardens, crop farming and grazing land. These endeavours will contribute to food security,” he said.
On plans for the tourism sector, he said: “KwaZulu-Natal possesses key comparative and competitive advantages in tourism, and in this regard, we will repurpose cultural and heritage tourism and revive heritage routes to contribute to the rural economy and also expose the potential of the rural towns.”
On building an ethical and capable state that delivers services, the premier said: “We have resolved to make a call for the attainment of clean audits linked to service delivery and performance agreements across the board.
“This government will implement a strict zero-tolerance approach to non-compliance, enforce accountability, and enforce consequence management.
We want all departments, municipalities and public entities to improve their audit outcomes and strive for clean audits.
“That is non-negotiable. Clean, ethical and good governance will be the order of the day. Fraud and corruption in this government will not be tolerated.
We are committed to professionalising the public service,” he said.
The premier also spoke of the priorities of his government in health, education and community safety.
On health, the premier said the new government wants to see improved service, shorter waiting times and courtesy to citizens.
On education, he said: “We will prioritise monitoring the quality of teaching and learning, school infrastructure and the school nutrition programme to enhance foundational and secondary education.
“By collaborating with communities we aim to identify and reintegrate children who have dropped out of school addressing the high drop-out rate and therefore illiteracy,” he said.
Speaking on community safety, Ntuli said: “Starting in August, we will be convening engagements in all districts and the metro that will culminate into a Provincial Crime Summit.”
The speech was largely welcomed by opposition parties.
uMkhonto weSizwe leader Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa said they would wait to see if what the premier has promised will be implemented.
“We heard what he said, but we do not trust it. There are many things he mentioned that made sense, our problem is that promises are often made and nothing gets implemented.”
DA leader and Finance MEC Francois Rodgers said the speech was balanced and spoke to the promises the DA had made during its campaign.
“The framework the premier put out is the framework we are happy with. Our job as the DA in the GPU is to ensure that the executive delivers.”
ANC leader and Transport and Human Settlement MEC Siboniso Duma said the Sopa was balanced and spoke to the ambitions that have been outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the country’s growth path.
The Mercury