By CYRIL RAMPHOSA

This week we released a progress report on the economic reforms we are implementing through Operation Vulindlela, our reforms initiative in the Presidency and National Treasury, working with the relevant government departments.

Since Operation Vulindlela was established, we have built significant momentum in economic reforms to create growth and jobs.

Through these reforms we are steadily laying the foundation for a revival of economic growth. By restructuring our network industries like energy, telecommunications, ports and rail, we are opening the space for investment and a renewal of our nation’s infrastructure.

This new report highlights a number of key milestones that have been reached during the past quarter.

The first of our reform milestones was the digital migration process we have implemented by switching off analogue transmission for all frequencies above 694 MHz on 31 July 2023. This marks a significant step in migration from analogue to digital signal. This means that radio frequencies that were being used for television broadcasting can now be used for mobile telecommunications, which will make network communications more accessible and increase the speed and reduce the cost of data. The implementation of this reform will bring new investment in the telecommunications sector.

Work is underway to implement necessary reforms in our logistics sector to address the challenges that have held back the growth of South African exports. The lack of investment and the increased cost of doing business have added to the many challenges that we need to address.

A key milestone was reached with the selection of an international terminal operator to partner with Transnet at the Durban Pier 2 container terminal. This terminal handles close to half of South Africa’s port traffic.

This partnership will increase investment for upgrading equipment and expanding terminal capacity. A key aspect of this partnership is that port infrastructure will remain state-owned and all jobs will be protected.

This month, two critical pieces of legislation were tabled in Parliament that will advance economic reform.

The Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill will support the restructuring of Eskom into three separate companies owned and controlled by Eskom Holdings, including an independent grid operator. Through this bill we will introduce competition in electricity generation, enabling a number of independent generators, alongside Eskom, to produce electricity to meet our country’s demand. This reform will fundamentally transform, modernise and improve South Africa’s energy sector to ensure energy security into the future.

Meanwhile, the reforms we have implemented through the Energy Action Plan have unlocked new investment in renewable energy sources, both to end load shedding and to use our unique wind and solar resources to power economic growth.

One of key reforms we have prioritised is in the water sector. We have introduced the South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Bill to establish a dedicated national water agency to design, plan and finance water resource infrastructure.

This agency will enable significantly greater investment in bulk water infrastructure to guarantee water security in the years and decades to come, while creating jobs and unlocking new agricultural potential.

We are implementing a range of other reforms to unlock economic growth, from creating an enabling regulatory environment for hemp and cannabis production to eradicating the backlog of title deeds for subsidised housing.

Despite difficult global conditions, investors continue to see value in the South African economy and the benefit of the reform agenda we are pursuing.

We are pleased that the BRICS Business Forum held last week was attended by 1,500 investors and business people from all five member countries. We were able to showcase the potential of South Africa and the African continent as the next frontiers of productivity and growth.

Many of the participants remarked on the enormous potential of our economic reform agenda to drive growth in the green economy, the digital economy and other key sectors.

In all of the work that we do, our ultimate goal is the same: to build an inclusive, fast-growing and dynamic economy and thereby create a better life for all South Africans.

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Picture: The acting North West Premier, Nono Maloyi/Supplied

By OBAKENG MAJE

The acting North West Premier, Nono Maloyi said they are concerned about the high rate of unemployment in the province. North West is sitting at 53%, which makes it one of the most affected provinces in the country.

However, Maloyi said they are working with all relevant stakeholders and considering options that can assist in mitigating this scourge. He further said the Provincial Executive Council (EXCO) held its meeting in Klerksdorp recently and reflected on a number of pertinent issues on the environment.

“The Executive Council noted that the North West Premier, Bushy Maape was still recovering from home and wished him a speedy recovery as the province needed a full complement of the EXCO. The South African government is from the BRICS Summit and decisions taken there are crucial both for the province and the country.

“In this instance, we had a session with potential investors and discussed possibilities of investing in the province. There was positive feedback from investors who expressed willingness to invest in the province,” said Maloyi.

He added that, to this end, the province will host a dinner session with investors on 15 September 2023 to take forward the conversation on how they can invest in the province. Maloyi said some of the investors have already expressed interest in investing in roads and agriculture in the province.

“The EXCO further noted that as the women’s month is coming to an end, issues of Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBV&F) remain sore points that require to be tackled head-on. We are to accelerate efforts to confront this pandemic.

“The EXCO commended the province for a recently held Provincial Women’s Day event, which took place in the JB Marks Local Municipality and was attended by thousands of women,” said Maloyi.

He said the EXCO reiterated its determination to resolve service delivery challenges that confront communities in various parts of the province, most of which are to be tackled through the Accelerated Service Delivery initiative, Thuntsha Lerole, which was launched recently in Mamusa Local Municipality.

He said the challenges of veld fires that have been ravaging various parts of the province and which have affected the agricultural sector adversely, also came under the spotlight.

“The EXCO commended the North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Desbo Mohono for her pro-activeness in visiting affected areas to understand the extent of the damage. The EXCO also decries the unfortunate incident of the burning of the Pilanesberg Airport to ashes.

“This happened at a time when some Chinese investors have shown interest in investing in the airport to revamp it. The EXCO further resolved that the unfortunate incident of sewage spillage in Mahikeng, which affected the community of Seweding and Ramosadi, needed to be given more attention,” said Maloyi.

According to Maloyi, a mobile clinic has been stationed in the area to mitigate the situation.

“In a meeting I had with Ngaka Modiri Molema District and Mahikeng Local Municipality Executive Mayors recently, I directed that Ngaka Modiri Molema should intervene urgently.

“The Development Bank of Southern Africa was also convened to establish how it could assist on the challenges of infrastructure in the area to provide a permanent solution to the sewage spillage challenge,” he said.

Maloyi said on the contractors who were awarded tenders and failed to deliver on their contractual obligations, the EXCO resolved that such contractors should be blacklisted. He said the EXCO received a report on the term 1 Grade 1 to 12 results and expressed satisfaction that learner performance in all these grades had improved compared to the same term last year.

“To this end, the EXCO resolved that members should each adopt an underperforming school as part of the many other efforts to intervene in a quest to improve learner performance in the province,” said Maloyi.

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