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With the upcoming elections the country is faced by a “third pandemic called memory loss”, said the premier of the Northern Cape while delivering his State of the Province Address (Sopa).
Dr Zamani Saul delivered his Sopa on Thursday, 29 February, at the Mittah Seperepere International Convention Centre in Kimberley.
Saul referred to the character Tintswalo that Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa spoke about, which “serves to remind us that, despite all the challenges that the country is faced with, there are areas of serious progress”.
The first pandemic was Covid-19, with the second being gender-based violence and femicide he said, which both took place during the sixth administration of the 30 years of democracy.
Attending this final session of the sixth administration, for which R3 million had been budgeted, were 3 000 guests, inclusive of 18 foreign dignitaries.
Saul again articulated the vision of 2019 to build a modern, growing, and successful province.
“We successfully mobilised our stakeholders for support to steer the province to greater heights,” he said.
For the rest of his Sopa, Saul focussed on the successes of the different state departments.
He said improvements in the quality of public education, public health and households’ income in the province have led to the Northern Cape now being one of six provinces in the country with a Human Development Index (HDI) above 0.70, which is a noticeable increase.
Speaking on education he mentioned that the percentage of persons aged 20 years and older with no schooling declined from 22,7% to 6,7% in 2022.
According to Saul, the improvement in healthcare provision can be attributed to the quality and access to health services at facilities across the province.
The unemployment rate for the Northern Cape is still the second lowest in the country, with job increases recorded in agriculture (5 000), mining (10 000) and energy (4 000).
Saul said when the sixth administration had assumed office in 2019, the provincial economy was estimated at R119 billion – it is now estimated at R148 billion.
Also, the provincial government is the province’s single biggest procurer of goods and services.
On Saul’s remark that there is a commitment to pay suppliers timeously for services rendered, “within 30 days and in most instances less than 30 days”, a loud “aikona” was heard from the audience.
Saul ended his address with a poem which he wrote days before, with the title, “In My Ungoodness”. In this poem he reflected on his life since birth.
“My ungoodness, is not badness,” he wrote amongst other things.
Also, “My ungoodness, is a life of many failures that are spiced with profound successes.
“Simply put, my ungoodness; is a life of ceaseless and sincere efforts, to live meaningfully.”
- The main cost drivers for Sopa were on broadcasting services to ensure that a wide number of people were reached at their homes and through electronic devices.
Also, costs related to transport, catering and accommodation for members of the community from all the districts in the province took up a huge portion of the allocated budget.
- The Sopa debate was set to take place on Wednesday, 6 March, followed by the premier’s reply on Thursday.
