Opening remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the meeting between the National Executive and the Mpumalanga Provincial Executive Council, Nkangala District Council Chambers, Mpumalanga

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Velenkosini Hlabisa,
Premier of Mpumalanga, Mr Mandla Ndlovu,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
MECs,
Officials,
Ladies and gentlemen, 

I would like to thank the leadership of the Provincial Government for making themselves available for this meeting with members of the National Executive. 

This is our third engagement, as the National Executive, with a Provincial Executive Council. We have previously met with the provincial leadership of Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.

Over the next few months we plan to meet with the leadership of all other provinces.

Cooperative governance is mandated by our Constitution. 

There is an obligation on all spheres of Government to cooperate, collaborate and consult on matters of common interest.

At the same time, it is important to respect the scope of the respective powers and functions of each sphere.

Our experience over the last 30 years of democracy is that economic and social development requires greater integration of the work of national, provincial and local government.

It is for this reason that we launched the District Development Model in 2019.

We no longer wanted programmes and projects to be conceptualised far from the realities and conditions on the ground.

We no longer wanted to work in silos.

We agreed that we needed to get closer together as the different components and spheres of Government. 

We needed to plan together, to budget together and to implement together.

In support of the District Development Model, there needs to be open channels of communication between provincial authorities and their counterparts at national government. 

It is our expectation that this meeting will set in motion a more structured and regular form of cooperation between the national and provincial executives. 

We come to Mpumalanga excited by the great potential that exists in this Province.

We know that the Province faces many challenges.

The unemployment rate in Mpumalanga is higher the national average. And we know that nearly a half of all young people are unemployed.

More than half the population live below the lower bound poverty line.

For Mpumalanga, inclusive economic growth and job creation must therefore be at the forefront of the efforts of Government and all social partners.

Like other provinces, Mpumalanga needs to grow faster and the benefits of growth need to reach more of its people.

Fortunately, this Province has many advantages that it can use to drive growth and development.

Mpumalanga is literally South Africa’s powerhouse.

Most of the country’s electricity comes from here, fuelled by the abundant coal reserves in this province.

Mpumalanga will therefore continue to be vital to the social and economic development of the country for many years to come.

For this reason, the province will also be at the centre of the just transition to a low-carbon economy.

This presents both challenges and opportunities.

We need to ensure that this transition does not damage livelihoods in the Province.

Rather we must plan and invest in the new technologies, industries and skills that are needed to expand job opportunities and build thriving communities.

This is a fertile province, which has the ability to sustain a wide variety of agricultural activities.

Mpumalanga is a province of natural splendour. It has long been a destination for visitors from across South Africa and across the world.

We are encouraged by the determination of the Province to invest in infrastructure.

This infrastructure is necessary for economic development, whether it is through improving the roads on which mining materials are carried, or the facilities for the marketing of agricultural production, or upgrading tourist sites.

This infrastructure is also important for improving the daily lives of the citizens of the Province, from bulk water infrastructure to hospitals, clinics and schools.

This aligns with the National Government’s focus on a massive infrastructure investment. 

It is vital that we build linkages between the Province and entities like Infrastructure South Africa and the Infrastructure Fund.

Our efforts must be coordinated and integrated. 

In my meetings with other provinces, I have said that one of the aims of this new collaborative approach must be aligning efforts that leverage the respective comparative advantages of the provinces. 

Different provinces have different resources and capabilities.

As a country, we must ensure that these are developed and that they work to complement each other.

I am accompanied today by several Ministers and Deputy Ministers. 

It is their responsibility to work with the Province to build its economy and meet the needs of its people.

We look forward to the presentation from the Province and to taking forward the practical actions that will arise from this meeting.

I thank you.