A proper government should ensure that any development’s main aim is to benefit the province’s economy and its people rather than foreign entrepreneurs.
Regarding agriculture – the farmers who suffered severe losses due to natural disasters, such as veld fires, black frost, floods, droughts and the recent African armyworm outbreak, are not receiving the support they need from the provincial government.
Additional challenges such as roads being inaccessible hamper access to markets, which results in even more losses.
The Freedom Front Plus is of the view that agriculture, forestry and fisheries are important sectors that create jobs, alleviate poverty, and contribute to economic growth and food security for all communities in the province.
In the healthcare sector, the province’s hospital infrastructure markedly keeps decaying. Problems such as water and staff shortages are common.
The Health Department increased its fleet of ambulances to support 320 clinics that are not fully operational. Response times are still slow, and lives are put in danger due to poor road conditions hampering the swift and safe transport of patients.
There is also a significant backlog in surgical procedures, with some patients having to wait six months for treatment.
Although the opening of two new primary schools in the Sekhukhune District is commendable, it does not address the urgent educational needs of the community.
Many learners have still not been placed in schools, especially in areas such as Polokwane (Pietersburg) and Mokopane (Potgietersrus). Ketlane Primary School in Louis Trichardt is packed to the rafters with more than a hundred learners in a class.
As regards Special Economic Zones, a balance needs to be struck between Limpopo’s natural habitat and successful, sustainable job creation.
Like elsewhere, unemployment is a critical challenge. By the end of 2024, Limpopo’s unemployment rate was a staggering 31,9%.
The Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) is a controversial development project in an ecologically sensitive part of the province, and demonstrates how easily mistakes are made.
Concerns are that more than 120 000 hectares of natural vegetation could be destroyed by coal mines and other developments in the Zone.
In these arid climates, it takes nature centuries rather than decades to recover.
The entire project is dependent on Chinese companies investing in metal processing. Development is important, but it is the people of the province who should benefit from it.
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