Failed and half-baked government projects, like the Mpumalanga fresh produce market, hamper the economy and are one of the biggest causes of the province's decline.
The Premier, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, merely reiterated her previous promises about job opportunities in the province but failed to present any concrete results in her State of the Province Address (SOPA).
She did not say a word about all the unsuccessful projects in the province.
Half-completed projects, like the Mpumalanga fresh produce market in Mbombela, Mpumalanga's performance centre in Belfast/Emakhazeni, the Skywalk project in Graskop, Nkomazi's Special Economic Zone, the Mkhondo-Agrihub, and the parliamentary town have cost the province more than a whopping R14 billion to date.
That is but a drop in the ocean compared to the number of outstanding local projects.
Those were the projects that were supposed to create job opportunities and attract more tourists, according to the Premier. They, however, only drained the province's economy without contributing anything.
As long as these projects remain stagnant, no jobs are created. The solution is to complete the exorbitant construction of one project before starting new ones.
The Premier did put forward her plans for more projects involving local natural tourist attractions. They are mostly focused on attracting more tourists.
But the province's crumbling roads must first be repaired and the decay of natural tourist attractions must first be turned around before man-made constructions can be built there.
The Three Rondavels View Point does not need a cable car to become a tourist attraction, it already is one.
The roads leading there are inaccessible, though, and tourists' safety cannot be guaranteed.
On paper, a picture of success and progress is painted. But the situation on grassroots level is drastically different.
Conducting visits, as part of the Legislature's oversight role, is paramount to determine what really happens with the millions in tax money spent on these projects.
It offers a reality quite different from the nearly endless list of claims made during the SOPA.
The Premier needs to establish proper liaising on provincial level to prevent projects from falling through the cracks and becoming a fertile breeding ground for corruption.
To this end, procurement processes must function correctly, legislation must be adhered to, and the political will must exist to make the necessary changes to ensure that each project is a success.
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