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Last year’s SOPA was overshadowed by Premier Supra Mahumapelo’s announcement of his proud affiliation with the Gupta’s.

This year a planned, 6m statue again took the focus off the real issues communities face from day to day. The ANC does not understand the problems and challenges people face and no sustainable solutions were given to bring them hope.

In a province with more than 44% jobless people, 475 000 poor households the poorest of the poor still suffer without housing, water, sanitation and infrastructure that is conducive to attracting business investments and creating jobs. Mahumapelo’s focus the past week was to build a statue and buy a brand new R1.1 million luxury car.

The Premier’s Setsokotsane Programme is a failing programme aiming at crisis management. Setsokotsane is a Tswana word for Whirl Wind. Last year it was abused to go and console protesting and unhappy communities. This project is run solely by the Premier and the only aim is to win votes for the ANC.

The Supra one man show further played out today when he announced plans to establish a bank. This is a clear indication that the ANC only wants the power and the money under their control.

It is shocking that the Premier spent more time on explaining his motives for the Zuma statue than coming up with sustainable plans to fight corruption and wastage.

We are pleased that he announced a bigger budget for infrastructure but we doubt to see results as by the end of January 2017 only 69% of the infrastructure budget in the province was spent.

While Brian Molefe paraded at this year’s SOPA, the Premier took the opportunity to serve him with advice about the political arena. We would rather have seen that the Premier advises on how his regime will help the elderly and school children to be transported safely.

While the Premier and his cronies are surrounded by security staff and hundreds of policemen that were deployed to Taung this week, they also called in the help of the SAPS Air Wing.

A unit in the province that can no longer serve taxpayers in crime prevention due to the non-payment of service accounts and poor procurement of fuel. Yet – this week the air wing was monitoring the area. We will also investigate complaints that helicopters became VIP taxis for the ANC.

While they travel and fly in style, school children still walk long distances to get to school. In most cases, to dilapidated schools where temporary teachers still wait for their January salaries. Sick people still have to walk to get medical attention – in some instances, they are pushed in a wheelbarrow as they are too weak to walk.

Vulnerable children and patients are left with empty promises – the same as during last year’s SOPA.We did not hear much of actionable plans to resuscitate our health care which is in shambles and the Department has to pay up millions for malpractice law-suits.

People die due to negligence and employees have to do their jobs under difficult circumstances with no proper resources. The premier has no idea of the real state of our province. We travelled the province and we can assure the premier that he misses the plot.

We call upon the Premier to come clean about the real state of the Province citing the status of the list of forensic audits without details tabled in the Provincial Legislature like all the previous years – a clear indication that he is hiding the real state of our province.

The DA believes that every effort of government must be focussed on improving the lives of the people in North West. As we continue to fight against the challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality we need all spheres of government and all organs of the state to effectively deliver on their responsibilities to make this province a better place for all.

Premier Supra Mahumapelo’s State of the Province Address is flimsy, full of empty promises and no real initiatives by the Provincial Government to change the lives of our communities. We are deeply concerned after the Premier failed to address how his government will take responsibility to create and grow jobs.

The VTSD (Villages, Townships and Small Dorpies) initiative promised to build up communities, stimulate growth and create jobs. This could’ve been a step in the right direction as it is part of the National Development Plan that is instructed by the national government.

Sadly Supra and his team could not make any impact here and it is sad that he will rather focus on honouring Zuma than honouring his oath to serve this province.

ANC cadres get richer and the poorest of the poor are still left behind.

Issued by DA North West