12 March 2020
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Moses Mabhida Province (KwaZulu-Natal) welcomes the State of the Province Address (SOPA) as delivered by Premier Sihle Zikalala. The theme of the SOPA was “Together Creating Our Common Future”.
The SACP Moses Mabhida Province affirms that KwaZulu-Natal has a history of violence, particularly violence that was planned by the apartheid system, and later by the party politics going to the first democratic elections and just after the elections. This has not abated as murders continue to happen. Some of the murders have been termed political killings. We call upon our community, the provincial government and all security agencies to attend to this and ensure that those who have turned against the people of KwaZulu-Natal are brought to book. They must be brought to book as a matter of urgency.
The KwaZulu-Natal province faces a dire situation of youth unemployment, a danger to our democracy. Young people continue to suffer as a result of the deteriorating economic climate, though there is, of course, some work being done to create a climate that is conducive to the creation of jobs. Only 39000 jobs have been created in this province, where over 2 million people are without jobs, of which over six hundred thousand are young people.
A number of young people still face problems when it comes to in-service training in order to get their qualifications. The provincial government as well as the local government should work closely with institutions of higher learning so that they could understand the necessary assistance needed by young people to acquire their qualifications The expansion of graduate internship to at least two years providing quality experiential training could assist young people to find their footing in their careers.
These should be done in conjunction with the private sector to at least have one percent of the permanent employees being a measure of internship that each department or company should employ annually or biannually.
Procurement of simple services should be identified and given to youth and women cooperatives throughout the province. State procurement of easy-to-procure materials such as stationery, should be given to youth and women cooperatives as well as start-up entrepreneurs cyclically in order to build the young entrepreneurs. This will not only stimulate the economy but will also encourage entrepreneurship.
The state of our municipalities remains a going concern, with the changes that happened in eThekwini and Msunduzi being highlighted. However, the provincial government must assess the extent to which the envisaged improvements are taking shape in these municipalities. Our cities have become infested with heaps of garbage due to failure of a number of municipalities to provide refuse removal service to the people. Where it is taking place it is inconsistent and this could lead to the spread of life-threatening diseases. This tier of government is critical in ensuring that the promise of our founding principles remains true. The KwaZulu-Natal government has the programme known as Operation Sukuma Sakhe where the government visits all districts in order to bring services to the people. The Premier should have given a report on issues which the provincial government is addressing as a result of those engagements.
The SACP Moses Mabhida Province is delighted by the 100th birth anniversaries of our struggle stalwarts such as the late Comrade Harry Gwala. We are, however, disappointed by the fact that these heroes of our revolution are not properly commemorated. In addition, their work is not promoted nor is it there work being done to properly preserve their history. The history of a number of our stalwarts is threatened to go into the dustbin of history due to neglect. We should support the commissioning of writing of books, fund research and work toward safe keeping of that history so that it does not disappear. Further, a number of families who gave us these heroes have been neglected, in such a way that the link between us and them happens only by chance when we need to visit the gravesites of these heroes and heroines. Keeping this history intact will not only serve as a reminder but will also increase local tourism.
We also call for the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government to pay special attention to the environment as the impact of global warming is now a reality. Our province has the propensity for dangerous storms and floods. This is no longer a situation we must wait for, but must manage and find ways to predict so that our intervention and protection may be timely. The clearing of foreign vegetation must be taken farther as it threatens livelihood. Foreign vegetation brings about adverse land erosion and preventable droughts, both of which are unfavourable to food production and people’s livelihoods. Our Provincial Disaster Management Strategy needs a thorough review, if not an overhaul. We cannot afford to have people die because our systems cannot respond to the impending environmental catastrophes.
The KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s SOPA, however, lacks a lot of implementation strategies and plans on a number of crucial issues raised in it. These must be taken forward by the MECs. The people of KwaZulu-Natal deserve quality service delivery. In light of a shrinking budget, the government must prioritise accordingly and also bring private partners on board to ensure that a little goes a long way.
Corruption is a cancer that the government needs to fight with urgency. All those who are looting government coffers must be prosecuted without fear or favour. We cannot afford to shield corrupt officials and politicians alike. The law must be swift and fair.
We congratulate the Provincial Government on Khawuleza week. We call upon the government to ensure that all services are able to reach people during this week in each district and further that mayors should keep this alive through ensuring that at least once a year a cluster of wards receives the same. The people, after 25 years, are no longer patient. They deserve quality service delivery. We dare not fail them!
On the issue of skills audit, SACP Moses Mabhida believes that anyone who does not possess the necessary qualifications for the respective job they are doing – and who have not been doing that job for long a time to qualify as competent through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL – must be removed and placed where they are competent. Those who have fraudulent qualifications must face the wrath of the law. The issue of competence is, however, a process. As such, there must also be careful consideration of other qualification methods, such as experience. The process of grading such qualifications must also be fair and must not be used as a victimisation tool.
Issued by the SACP Moses Mabhida Province
Contact
Sifiso Gwala
064907 0498
sifisogwala@gmail.com
Themba Mthembu
Provincial Secretary
0833036988
rtmthembu@gmail.com
Nomcebo Msomi
0769695897
msomi.nomcebo@gmail.com
