Honourable Premier Ms Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae Members of the Provincial Executive Committee Executive Mayors and all public representatives here present Heads of the Departments Senior Government Officials Distinguished guests Ladies and gentlemen Members of the Media
THE 7TH ADMINISTRATION We are joining you this morning as a delegation from the Department for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and the erstwhile Department of Public Enterprise. We constituted our delegation in this fashion in anticipation of complex questions that may arise and robust debates that may be provoked by our presentation. We hope the composition of our delegation will not be measured in terms of its size, but through a process of quantitative dialectic transformation to a qualitative change. We are privileged to be a part of this important Free State Province Strategic Session as we collectively determine the plan for the province and to segment alignment to Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024-2029. We are all aware that the introduction of the Government of National Unity as a consequence of the May 2024 National and Provincial Election outcome necessitated the recalibration of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework into the Medium-Term Development Plan. The re-configuration of the National Cabinet also impacted the Department of Public Enterprises as its functions were incorporated into the Department for Planning Monitoring and Evaluation. You would have observed the subsequent re-assignment of State-Owned-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to their line function Departments. We are now processing a Bill through the legislative process to finalise outstanding governance, legal and commercial positioning and modelling best suited for these entities based on our country's developmental needs. During the Opening of Parliament Address, in July 2024, the President highlighted the three (3) Strategic Priorities for the Seventh Administration which informed the structure of the MTDP, these are: a. Strategic Priority 1: Drive inclusive growth and job creation. b. Strategic Priority 2: Reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living; and c. Strategic Priority 3: Build a capable, ethical and developmental state. The questions that beacon in the light of these changed circumstance and alterations in the environment in which we operate. One, is how do we ensure cohesiveness of the GNU without reversing democratic gains won over the last 30 years? Secondly, how do we advance progressive policies in a manner that assist us regain lost ground and advance economic transformation? Before we return to the topic we have been invited to unpack and deliberate on working societies. SCHOOL READINESS DAY Honorable Premier, MEC for Education and Members of the Executive Committee, we wish to congratulate the province for consistently leading in matric results over the past five years – since 2019. The Free State has maintained the highest matric pass rate in the country. Last week the announcement for 2024 by the Minister of Basic Education, showed an impressive 91% pass rate, improving from 89.0% in 2023. Our Ministry supported by our Departmental Frontline Monitoring Team joined the national back to school drive on the School Readiness Day during the reopening of schools on the 15th of January 2025. We visited schools in Lejweleputswa Local Municipality and we were joined by local and district officials during our visits. We engaged with the flowers of our nation – the learners! We interacted with the unsung heroes and heroines- the educators! We engaged with parents! These are all the people who constitute the heart beat of the Free State. The toiling masses who have persevered and withered all the storms and were triumphant in conditions of adverse poverty and brought us glory as the Free State Province. We congratulate the unsung heroes and heroines, the educators who have made it possible for our province, the Free State Province, to once again reclaim its national place of pride as the number one Province in the matric results. So, if we are looking for a strong signal of a society that work – our school system, through our children presents us with a good example and a story to write home about. Their hard work is laying the foundation for their future success and the world is their Oyster. As we celebrate, we are also having to contend with the recent developments about the inability of the post-school system to absorb matriculants – the class of 2024. This development requires our undivided attention as all spheres of government. We are duty-bound to create access and increased participation of the youth through the provision of various career pathways of community colleges, vocational colleges, polytechnics and universities. For an example, there is no reason why Botshabelo with its 200.000 population cannot have a vocational school or polytechnic that train artisans to be absorbed in down stream businesses in mining, agriculture, manufacturing and other emerging sectors and drivers of the future economies. We must be intentional in our plans and ensure that our plans undermine apartheid spatial planning and break the edifice on which the apartheid system rests. The Local Development Plans and Integrated Development Plans must address challenges and failures of our current interventions and be mainstreamed for alignment with the NDP Goals. This approach will create a launching pad for the institutionalization of integrated and long-term planning. There is an urgent need to review the role of the SETAs, EPWP. CPWP, and the role of the TVET colleges to cocreate value and unlock employment and enterprise development for entrepreneurs. Education and skills development should be our pre-occupation. Improving access to quality education is vital for increasing employment opportunities and economic growth. BUILDING A WORKING SOCIETY We have been requested to reflect on basic tenants and building blocks of a society that works and, in a way, opine on the role of this province in building such society. My initial observation is that this province is already on the right tract to build a working society – the percentage of matriculants show that efforts are being made to change course and build this country. In my view, a literate and skilled society is the basic ingredient for building a competitive and developing societies. Social institutions are essential frameworks found in among others, the family unit, educational institutions, government and its entities, sports and arts and culture associations, religious formations that organize social life and norms. It is important that we work with communities who are the ultimate beneficiaries of all government's policies and programs. Active engagement of citizens in community organizations and advocacy groups to promote social cohesion should be one of the interventions aimed at closing the social distance between government and the people. We need an engaged citizenry. Our Country is in short supply of cadres equipped with skills required by industries. We need to mobilise society in the spirit of active citizenry so that people become their own liberators whether it is through government's co-ops or the 2billion generated by stokvels as their annual contribution to our GDP, just as one example. We must as a society unlearn certain counterproductive behavioral patterns and disabuse ourselves of the culture of consumerism if we seek to be a working and functional society. A work-based society prioritizes paid employment as the central aspect of identity and social structure, this type of society emphasizes productivity and the significance of work in people's lives. In contrast, a consumption-based society focuses on consumer activities, where identity and social status are increasingly derived from consumption rather than work. This shift reflects a diminished work ethic and a valorization of consumerism, where satisfaction and meaning are sought through purchasing goods and experiences rather than through labor itself. We must adapt to the continuously changing environment through adoption of mechanisms that improve efficiencies that accelerates service delivery. These include among others: - Integrated plans to achieve a working society.
- Modernization and Technological shifts.
- The nexus between monitoring and accountability.
- Mitigating and addressing social ill.
- The role of Communities in a working society.
THE PROVINCE AT A GLANCE In a report titled Free State Prospectus Report 2024 an observation is made about the economic decline in the traditional sectors such as mining and agriculture. The Report recommends diversification and a focus on renewable energy. Economic Diversification: The report recommends a shift from reliance on mining and agriculture to a broader economic base, focusing on green economy initiatives and job creation in sustainable sectors. Building a functional society and economy in a province that is an integral part of South Africa requires addressing several critical challenges including but not limited to the following: Poverty and unemployment: Over 60% of the population live below the poverty line, with youth unemployment exceeding 60%. Social Cohesion: The gap between rich and poor undermines social trust and stability Capable Governance: A robust state is essential for effective service delivery and economic management. Education and Skills Development: Improving access to quality education is vital for increasing employment opportunities and economic growth. Active Citizenship: Encouraging civic participation can enhance government accountability and foster social unity. Economic Structure: A robust economy that provides jobs, resources, and opportunities for all citizens. Political System: Effective governance that ensures justice, representation, and participation in decision-making. Civil Society: Active engagement of citizens in community organizations and advocacy groups to promote social cohesion. Cultural Norms: Shared values and beliefs that foster unity and guide behavior within the community. Technological Innovation is an enabler in the implementation of catalytic and mega infrastructure projects. Research and Development are key in the building of knowledge societies and modernizing nations. In this context we should ask ourselves the question what the role of a university in the struggles against inequality, poverty and unemployment? DPME'S BIRDS EYE VIEW OF THE PROVINCE AND RESPONSE The Department is committed to fostering collaboration between the monitoring and evaluation unit in the Premier Office to ensure better coordination and effective service delivery. The Department is ceased with the urgent task of the revitalization of the key special development nodes in the province. It is our intention to implore the province to link thinking and planning in the agro-processing sector the national Agriculture Master Plan. DPME is of the view that industrialization in the province can move faster than mining beneficiation. Its important that this meeting further consider an urgent response to the factors retarding the growth of Industrial Parks. As DPME we believe there is value to be derived from mainstreaming local economic development to the NDP 2030 Vision. IN CONCLUSION As we conclude, we should as a collective commit to make the province a destination of choice, we must always reflect on the giving a clear direction on which areas we need to focus on as we march forward with the plan to develop and grow the province. The province should be intentional on investment in upgrading of roads, railway network, electricity plants and dams to contribute to faster economic growth. It is important that we emphasize that these interventions call for a dedicated public servant who will ensure that they implement the plan, whilst we continue as politicians to provide leadership. Our engagement and business during this strategic session, we must take into account the majority party manifesto that was crafted in the run up to the last general elections. The manifesto lays the foundation of what is expected of us in the current administration, and it is upon all of us here to ensure that it is implemented for the advancement of the Free State that we envisage to build, Free State of our dreams. We wish you a successful Strategic Planning Session. This is an important step in the process of building a working society. We are your reliable partners and will always be available to participate in advancing development in the province and the country. I will now invite Mr. Godfrey Mashamba to now take us through the Part B of our presentation.
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