The FF Plus supports the plans put forward by the newly elected Premier, Mandla Ndlovu, for his tenure – as long as they are implemented.
As opposed to his predecessors, the new Premier recognises several of the burning issues faced by the province.
It is encouraging that Mr Ndlovu realises it will be a mammoth task to save the province from utter ruin and that he has already started implementing some of his plans.
The new Premier’s promises appear to focus on ensuring the province’s financial stability and providing essential services to its residents.
Mr Ndlovu is taking over the reins of a provincial government that has run Mpumalanga into the ground. His biggest challenge within the ANC government will be putting the interests of the province and its people before the party’s serf-serving tendencies and obsolete policy directions.
The fact that he decisively addressed the province’s financial mismanagement and poor service delivery, and tabled viable plans, raises hope for real change to come.
The FF Plus welcomes the invitation by the Premier for all the parties to join hands with him and support him in appointing expert officials.
He will, however, need to do the same on municipal level, which seems to be the elephant in the room.
Mr Ndlovu appears focused on involving the private sector and the fact that he has already met with several role players shows that he is taking positive steps and not only paying lip service.
The FF Plus will keep increasing the pressure to ensure that these promises are fulfilled.
The FF Plus will also support him in the fight against the so-called “mafias” operating in the province. Mr Ndlovu has zoomed in on the so-called “contractor mafia”, but the FF Plus would like to see him also crack down on the gangs jeopardising community safety, in particular, as well as the mining and tourism industries.
The impact of load shedding on the province’s socio-economic standing remains critical. It is still one of the biggest issues and was not adequately addressed.
Moreover, municipalities also frequently fail to provide essential services, such as water supply.
Local businesses are under pressure to shell out money to procure expensive energy alternatives, such as diesel for generators, just to keep their doors open.
The Premier has the power to take urgent steps and make the province less dependent on the national power grid.
It must be prioritised.
Although the FF Plus wholeheartedly supports the aforementioned and the opportunity for closer cooperation, the Premier still needs to show his true mettle. So, the FF Plus will diligently keep fulfilling its oversight role in the Legislature.
