Taking his cue from President Thabo Mbeki, Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool committed his government to implementing 20 ”measurable actions” within the next 100 days.
Delivering his maiden premier’s speech in the provincial legislature, Rasool said among the varied actions are starting to register the 93 929 children not yet on child grants, training 515 new railway police, raising an additional R10-million to capitalise the Real Enterprise Development fund and increasing the number of patients on anti-retroviral treatment to at least 3 000.
”Over the next 100 days citizens throughout this province will receive a clear signal of the care and commitment of this government … These 100 days will also serve as a tangible signal of our direction over the next five years,” he said.
In outlining the thrust over the next half decade, Rasool stressed his government’s commitment to ensuring that the Western Cape becomes a ”home for all”.
The building blocks for his five-year vision include expanding the first and second economies within the province.
”The first economy in our province must be expanded and equipped to become more inclusive to the benefit of the broader spectrum … The second economy of our poor and rural communities must receive increasing attention, especially at the level of access to capital, support, training and management,” he said.
Rasool also focused on the civil service, saying it must become increasingly efficient and effective and reflect the principles of Batho Pele, or people first.
He said the province intends developing strategic investments in building bridges with emerging trading partners such as Brazil, India and other Asian economies.
”In keeping with building the African renaissance and Nepad [the New Partnership for Africa’s Development], we will explore unique economic and cultural links into the African continent that makes sense in growing our economic sectors, such as oils and gas.”
Rasool said the province will lobby for the honour of hosting the opening ceremony of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, as well as hosting major matches up to the semifinal stage.
However, Rasool’s upbeat speech was tempered with the province’s realities, which he said remain characterised by high levels of unemployment and growing inequality.
”The Western Cape carries the unenviable mantle of being the most unequal province in South Africa with a Gini-coefficient [which measures income inequality] rate of 0,62 compared to the national rate of 0,57,” Rasool said, adding that this is more profound if one notes that South Africa is counted among the top 10 unequal societies in the world.
Rasool also mentioned unemployment, saying that 23,17% of the province’s economically active population is jobless, with the youth hardest hit.
”Those with matric stand very little chance of finding a job. If we consider that only 52% of our youth who start grade one finish grade 12, we get a sense of miserable living environments of our youth and communities,” he said.
Concluding his speech, Rasool said while it will not be easy to deliver on some of the stated objectives, the provincial government is committed to its realisation. — Sapa