MIDDELBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa said he is convinced Mpumalanga can literally be South Africa’s engine of growth.
“In fact, Mpumalanga is the powerhouse of our country,” the President said when addressing a meeting between his cabinet ministers and their deputies and the Mpumalanga provincial executive committee, led by Premier Mandla Ndlovu.
The meeting, led by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, took place on Tuesday, December 10, at Nkangala District Municipality.
The meeting formed part of a series of engagements between the President and provinces, aimed at enhancing intergovernmental coordination and improving service delivery in line with the priorities of the 7th Administration.
“In my meetings with different provinces, I have said that one of the aims of this new collaborative approach must be aligning the efforts that leverage the respective comparative advantages of our provinces,” Ramaphosa said.
The President went on to exalt the province: “All the electricity that we currently have is generated from here. You give the whole nation power. So, you can be proud of it; it is a comparative advantage that you have because most of our electricity, coming from here, is fueled by the abundant coal reserves that you have in this province,” he said.
“This province has many comparative advantages that it can use to drive growth and development. It has a number of wonderful endowments that have also enabled it to achieve a great deal in a number of other areas,” he said.
Ramaphosa further stated that Mpumalanga will, therefore, continue to be vital to the social and economic development of the country for many years to come.
He continued, saying that for this reason, the province will also be at the center of the Just Transition to a low-carbon economy, adding that these should be some of the discussions the people of Mpumalanga ought to have with themselves to see “how best they can actually turn the tide around so that greater benefit can flow from this era we are getting into, of a low-carbon economy.”
“And this presents both challenges and opportunities. We need to ensure that this transition does not damage the livelihoods of our people in this province. Rather, we must plan and invest in new technologies and industries, and we must also be able to reskill and upskill our people into jobs that are needed by the new era that we are entering, so that we can build thriving communities.”
“This is a fertile province that has the ability to sustain a wide variety of agricultural activities.
Mpumalanga, apart from everything else, is a province of natural splendour. It has long been a destination for visitors from across South Africa and the world,” he highlighted.
The President also noted that different provinces have different resources and capabilities, and different offerings that they can make for the continued growth of our economy. “As a country, we must make sure that these are developed to their fullest potential and that as we work, we complement each other on what we are good at.
It will be good if our provinces are able to cover areas in which they are really excellent,” he said.
He also directed his ministers and deputies to work alongside the executive committee to help Mpumalanga realise its plans to grow the economy and drive meaningful development. “It is the responsibility of ministers and deputy ministers to work with the province to help build its capabilities and its economy and to enhance development that will meet the needs of our people,” Ramaphosa said
