Youth empowerment will be one of the apex priorities of the seventh administration, says North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi.
He announced on Friday that the provincial government was working towards implementing the Labour Activation Plan that will result in 27 000 work opportunities and training to unemployed people with the focus being the youth.
“Through the National Youth Service Fund, we will implement training and skills development opportunities that will benefit over 1 200 young people at the Departments of Public Works and Roads, Social Development, Human Settlement as well as Arts, Culture Sports, and Recreation,” he told the media.
Mokgosi was speaking during the Provincial Annual Media Day launch in Mahikeng.
Currently, he said, the administration is investigating a new model for the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to ensure that this programme assists young people with various skills.
The Victor Thebe Sifora Provincial Bursary Scheme will also be resuscitated and that the grant will fund no less than 100 students for the 2025 academic year.
Service delivery
The Premier acknowledged that the province was confronted with many challenges and said they would work hard to “speedily” resolve them.
Mokgosi highlighted the Accelerated Service Delivery Programme - Thuntsha Lerole - which he believes has proven to be an important instrument in expediting the provision of services in municipalities.
“We are ramping up the programme with the implementation of phase four whose focus will be on accountability to allow members of the public to give feedback and report cases of bad or lack of service delivery.
“As mentioned during the address last week, the Executive Council will not hesitate to intervene in any municipality if the situation requires such intervention. There are promising signs of improvements in several interventions already being implemented across municipalities,” he explained.
The province was also working around the clock to create economic opportunities for its citizens as they attend to service delivery concerns.
Through the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), they have so far garnered investment commitments to the tune of R164 billion that will create over 5 000 jobs.
He said they will be rolling out three mega infrastructure projects in water, sanitation, and road infrastructure in the City of Matlosana, J.B Marks and Maquassi Hills local municipalities.
These projects will cost R19 billion and are expected to create over 60 000 work opportunities targeted at the youth and women.
In addition, through the Growth and Developmental Strategy (GDS), Mokgosi said they will initiate the North West Development Fund (NWDF) in partnership with the private sector.
“The setting up of the fund will be arranged in a way that will ensure good governance principles are adhered to whilst ensuring that there are as few impediments as possible to ensure seamless delivery of programmes and projects.”
He announced that the fund will help resuscitate the province’s ailing tourism sector particularly, provincial parks as well as the refurbishment of the George Dick Montshioa and Pilanesberg Airports.
Media Day
The Premier announced that a Media Day will be held annually after the Premier’s State of the Province Address (SOPA) to communicate developmental initiatives of the administration as well as interventions on various socio-economic challenges such as unemployment, poverty and income inequalities afflicting our communities.
His Office will also hold quarterly media sessions to report progress registered in attending to several challenges, remedial action plans and achievements.
“The media plays an important role in keeping our communities abreast of key government programmes that are primarily aimed at changing the lives of our people for the better.
“We affirm and fully support the independence of the media to hold government accountable as enshrined in our Constitution.” – SAnews.gov.za
