Good afternoon Business Forum Friends,

First and foremost I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this interaction.

A critical part of the DA’s programme of action is to establish lasting relationships with key stakeholders, such as yourselves. I hope that today will be the first step in this direction.

Our purpose of this engagement forms part of the DA’s listening tour, to hear from the people of the Province, as well as all major stakeholders, about what their concerns, needs and suggestions are in order to transform South Africa, and in our case, the North West, into a united, prosperous, free and more equal society.

Our focus today is the economy.

Earlier today we met with informal business people in Ikageng. These people are left behind by the failing ANC government and despite that, they are still eager to teach youth skills in order to grow the economy and open fair access to real, long-term jobs.

We want to congratulate each and every one here who is already mentors to upcoming entrepreneurs and we want to encourage you to reach out to your neighbours who want to put food on the table and see this are growing into an economic hub.

That is, each and everyone here contributes to economic growth in some way or another through your business ventures.

We are aware of cumbersome regulations and laws, the red tape, which serves as an obstruction to economic growth. The same applies to a restrictive labour legislative framework. The skyrocketing input costs has a further negative impact on business activity, especially for small to medium enterprises.

In addition to these macro-economic factors, the collapse in local governance, especially with the deteriorating levels of basic service delivery and the maintenance and expansion of bulk and roads infrastructure further obstructs business activity.

The failing ANC-government’s poor economic policy, and acrimonious attitude towards business, coupled with both the failing ANC and EFF’s populist rhetoric further scares off both local and international investment into our economy.

The North West Province has tremendous potential for fast, sustainable and inclusive economic growth. We sit on vast mineral reserves, which if effectively accessed could spur not only growth in the mining sector, but also downstream economic development across a host of sectors to support a growth in mining.

But as we have come to know, ideology gets in the way of reaching our full potential.

Allow me to give an overview on the economic indicators of the North West. Mining contributes about 30% to the provincial GDP, Finance 13%, Trade 11% and Agriculture 3%.

The 10 year employment statistics are:

Mining employed 166 000 person on 2008, today only 147 000 persons are employed.
Manufacturing employed 91 000 people in 2008, today this sector only employs 49 000 people.
Trade employed 188 000 persons in 2008, today this sector employs about 190 000 people. A positive growth of 2 000 jobs over the last decade is indicative of a depressed economy.
Agriculture employed 61 000 people in 2008, today this sector employs only 43 000 people.
Friends,

In 2008, there were 481 000 unemployed people in the North West. Fast forward 10 years, the number of unemployed people almost doubled to 750 000 persons unable to find a job.

This is a serious crisis that holds the potential to completely destabilise South Africa, we see in it the rise in crime and general lawlessness, poverty, desperation, increased inequality and a rise in a host of socio-economic problems affecting communities throughout the North West.

Where the DA governs we have shown that we can grow the economy, attract investment, and create jobs. We are making it easier for businesses to do business.

We would like to do the same in the North West. But we would need your help. And so with these few words, we are here today to listen to your suggestions, to hear you out, to respond to your concerns.

Only the DA stands ready to bring change that builds One South Africa, which grows an inclusive economy that open fair access to real, long-term jobs.

I thank you.