Roleplayers ask the Premier for more stategic solutions following Sopa address
Bonus spoke to two role-players in the union community, as well as two from the business fraternity to get their reaction on the Premier, Chupu Mathabatha's State of the Province Address he delivered on Friday.
POLOKWANE – Bonus spoke to two role-players in the union community, as well as two from the business fraternity to get their reaction on the Premier, Chupu Mathabatha’s State of the Province Address he delivered on Friday.
Lesiba Monyaki, Provincial Chairperson of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) says he expected the premier to give practical plans on how to address the backlog when it comes to the Health Department.
Read more: Limpopo’s economy under the spotlight during Premier Mathabatha’s recent Sopa address
“All the premier stressed was that policies on paper should be implemented.”
Lesiba says he was waiting for the premier to mention strategic ways in which they are going to address the backlog in terms of graduate intake that had been promised by the department.
“We have a high number of graduates who were promised jobs but who still have not been absorbed into the department”. He further added that he was pleased that the premier outlined that 20% of state procurement in the province will be aimed at young entrepreneurs.
Klaas Mohlatlole, Spokesperson of the Professional Educators’ Union (PEU) says he welcomed the premier’s emphasis on working to increase the national senior certificate (NSC) results to be higher than 80%. He says that there are also still some issues outstanding that have not been addressed this time around. “The department is spending too much money on the training of early childhood development (ECD) practitioners without increasing the budget for their stipends. ECD practitioners earn a minimum stipend but are still expected to do their work in full.”
Basil Mabasa, Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry says he welcomes the pro-SMME address.
“It is of great importance to note the premier’s commitment to industrialise Limpopo along with the revitalisation and re-opening of neglected industrial hubs in the province. These hubs previously served as catalysts for job creation but faced massive disinvestment and neglect post 1994, they have the potential to assist in unlocking growth in the province.”
Basil says the re-establishment of the Limpopo Business Support Agency (Libsa) is also a welcome development.
“The agency will go a long way in propelling SMME development in the province and should be give enough financial resources to give the much-needed support to various developing SMME’s”.
Tshianeo Matidi, Chairperson of the African Farmers Association in South Africa (Afasa) says he is pleased that this time around the premier took his time to acknowledge that agriculture is the driving force of the economy but they have not been taking care of it as they should.
“The premier’s speech was relevant because he covered most of the issues that are plaguing the agricultural sector such as production and infrastructure, irrigation skills and Agri-processing methods and has also made a point to commit to the training of farmers to assist in exporting their products”.
Tshianeo however mentions that he was waiting for the premier to mention ways on how challenges such as climate change and crime in the sector are going to be curbed. “Limpopo is considered one of the provinces with the biggest climate change effect and yet no means of reducing it were mentioned. He also left out the issue of crime in the sector in relation to our products, equipment and the lives of our farmers.”
