The North West MEC for Economic Development Bitsa Lenkopane, has applauded the Premier’s Economic Investment Advisory Council, for its contributions to help revive the economy of the province.
This emerged during a meeting between the Provincial EXCO members and the council in Sun City outside Rustenburg.
The council was launched by Premier Lazarus Mokgosi this year, to advise the government on measures to develop the economy, attract investors and reduce unemployment amongst others.
Lenkopane is adamant that the inputs will bring relief to the government.
“We heard a lot of reflections which the premier has made clear that they must have found expressions in the plans of the government, starting from municipalities, the departments and entities.
Their inputs and recommendations can even bring us to a culture shift in different departments, but also improvement on the work that is always reflected on the Auditor-General.
They have touched on almost 50% of the audit action plans of different departments and municipalities,” said Lenkopane.
In addition, Lenkopane said some of the inputs by the council will help direct the premier’s State of the Province Address.
Council members have expressed satisfaction about their contributions, but implored the government to better communicate its programmes and plans.
“There needs to be strong communication from the top to the bottom.
There must be education to the people, because most of our people on the ground don’t understand how projects are run, initiated, and before you do anything, you see people closing roads, embarking on service delivery protests.
This is squarely because they don’t understand what is going to happen, they just want jobs,” said council member, Meshack Molope.
In addition, another member of the council Nelson Mongale, called on the government to revitalise some of the factories that are no longer working, and invest in manufacturing.
“We have districts that always just import products, but we don’t manufacture.
A lot of districts produce their own maize, but they don’t manufacture.
That maize comes from our grounds, we eat cornflakes, cereals, and the likes.
When you have a 1-tonne of maize is about R3 000, the same tonne of maize when you do manufacturing, you’ll be trading that bag by about R58 000.
It just shows that manufacturing is the way to go,” explained Mongale.
