KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli stated that the province's seventh administration has anchored its plans on three main priorities: driving inclusive economic growth and job creation, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living, and building a capable, ethical, and developmental state.
Delivering his inaugural State of the Province Address on Wednesday, Ntuli highlighted the challenges KZN has endured in recent years, including the July 2021 unrest, natural disasters, and people still living in transit camps.
Touching on key developments in KZN, Ntuli announced investment projects worth R1.4 billion at the Dube Tradeport. He also outlined plans to inject R2 billion into the local economy with the development of an Agri-Hub at the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone and a R150 million project to build a fresh produce market in the uMhlathuze Municipality.
Construction mafia
Ntuli further called for collaboration between government and the construction industry in a bid to root out construction mafias.
"As this government, we must all work together to fight the construction mafia syndrome. There is no place for the construction mafia in our province. We will work with the construction industry to help the industry to grow," he said.
Youth unemployment
"We are opening a new window for the R100 million Youth Empowerment Fund. Innovation is critical in creating a futuristic economy. In this area, we want to see new industries anchored on e-commerce, finance, information technology, e-hailing, and related services. For this reason, we will support new start-up industries in these fields," Ntuli said.
The Premier added that a digital fund will also be set up to support creativity and innovation in the IT space for young people.
Taxi industry
Ntuli said the taxi industry continues to be a pillar of economic growth and it has to be prioritised and treated as a formal business.
"Within 100 days, there will be engagement of all stakeholders within the transport industry addressing access and expansion of public transport and continued peace within the sector. As a responsible and responsive government, we will look closely into the permit disputes and the process of issuing permits," he said.
Reducing poverty and tackling high cost of living
The Premier said poverty remains a challenge despite various interventions and this necessitates more effective economic empowerment and inclusion strategies.
The Premier also touched on various projects that will prioritise engagements with sectors of society to find meaningful solutions to existing problems.
He added that there are also initiatives in place to improve healthcare and providing quality education.
Regarding crime, the Premier committed to convening engagements in all districts and the metro that will culminate into a Provincial Crime Summit.
"These engagements will enable all the role-players, ranging from Amakhosi, Izinduna, South African Police Service, mayors and councillors, religious leaders, crime prevention structures, business and broader communities to analyse the crime situation in the province and to come up with interventions that must be prioritised as part of their sector plan for crime fighting and crime prevention," he said.
He added that gender-based violence and femicide is a scourge that continues to put leadership to shame.
"The latest numbers of reported GBV&F incidents in Inanda, Umlazi and Empangeni are disturbingly high. The province will continue to fight this scourge through the Provincial Integrated Plan," Ntuli said.
In conclusion, Ntuli said this is a task that is challenging and daunting and yet fulfilling at the same time.
"As this generation of leaders, we have a duty and mandate to ensure that we work together to harness the collective potential of every citizen of our province," he said.
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