State of the Province Address by the Premier of Mpumalanga (19/06/2009)

…In essence, our people expect the democratic government to continue in its quests to reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality in the context of a growing economy.

We are aware that the negative global economic environment will constrain our ability to accelerate delivery on the identified priorities. As we are all aware, the global economy is in recession and the implications for both our national and provincial economies are huge.

The people who are the hardest hit by this recession are the poor. The retrenchments that one alluded to earlier are as a result of the economic meltdown. Many companies are folding, especially companies in the mining sector and those involved in export. Food prices are high, making it difficult for the poor to access basic foodstuffs. The figures of repossessions of cars and surrenders of houses in bond contracts are alarmingly high. The investment level in the economy has also been declining at a faster rate.

Fundamentally, the economic downturn will affect the pace at which we respond to the issues raised in the Manifesto. However, as government, together with you, we are going to survive this storm because we are a courageous nation.

Marko Saravanja put it much better when he asserts that:

“Those who are internally confident do not fear the external world. Courage combined with perseverance is magic that dissolves obstacles and opens the door to success and freedom.”

On the occasion of his inauguration as the fourth democratically elected President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma spared no moment but laid down a clear line of march for going forward. Citing his exact words, the President said:

“We are now called upon to implement our Manifesto. The dreams and hopes of all the people of our country must be fulfilled. There is no place for complacency, no place for cynicism, no place for excuses. Everything we do must contribute in a direct and meaningful way to the improvement of the lives of our people.”

via Polity :: MP: Mabuza: State of the Province Address by the Premier of Mpumalanga (19/06/2009).

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