‘Province advancing in poverty and unemployment battle‘

from The Herald

By Patrick Cull Political Editor

IN bullish mood, Eastern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela presented an upbeat account of economic progress in the province at the weekend.

She said the progress indicated a government at work in the interests of eradicating poverty and unemployment.

Delivering her State of the Province address at the Abbotsford Christian Centre on Friday, the premier pointed to the fact that the Eastern Cape had created 152 000 jobs over the past two years – the highest in the country – and that the unemployment rate had dropped from 36 per cent to 22%. Many jobs were created in the agricultural sector.

Balindlela said that while there had been notable achievement in the western part of the province, like investment at Coega, “the greatest achievement is the realisation of continual job creation and poverty alleviation through agrarian reform”.

The premier said the economic focus would now turn to the eastern part of the province.

On the 2010 World Cup, Balindlela said it provided “an exciting opportunity to promote unity among our people and communities”. A mass participation campaign to mobilise people around this event was under way in all municipalities.

Noting that the accommodation requirements for the World Cup exceeded existing capacity, in “both quality and quantity”, she announced a pilot project would soon get under way to boost capacity in the province.

The premier said backlog payments for teachers had been cleared and 3 411 temporary teachers had received permanent appointments.

She added all mud structures would be replaced by the end of next year.

On the delivery of pupil support materials and school furniture, Balindlela said that “provincial government was now reviewing the purchasing-distribution chain with a view to adopt a decentralised, hands-on approach as well as allocating more resources for this purpose”.

She added the province had appointed “competent service providers to supply the necessary furniture to our schools”.

Balindlela said the intention was to swell the programme in health sciences with an increase in interns from 200 to 300. Over the next three years Project 5 000 “will see the employment of 5 000 health professionals and administrative and support staff”, she said.

“We believe this will reduce the burden of high patient ratios that present nursing staff are bearing.”

Balindlela said the province would increase the number of people receiving anti-retroviral drugs from 27 000 to 40 000 and accredit all 32 hospitals and 47 community health centres to be ARV sites.

The speech will be debated in the legislature this week.