She said peoples’ institutions have collapsed because of the corruption that has become a norm in Mpumalanga.
Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane has announced she plans rooting out the rampant Mpumalanga corruption through a considered lifestyle audit.
Tsipane said this while delivering her state of the province address Tuesday 25 February 2020 at the legislature midday.
She said more forensic investigators will be recruited to deal with issues of corrupt officials, using their political clout and greed to take away from the poor.
Tsipane said a “Vetting Field Unit” will assist her government come closer to backlogs being experienced by the State Security Agency when investigating issues of fraud and corruption.
“We have witnessed the loss of integrity in some of the institutions of the state, business, political and other organisations,” she said.
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“We are currently considering various options to conduct lifestyle audits in the public service and recruiting more forensic investigators to deal with reported cases of fraud and corruption,” the Premier said.
Announcing that youth development centres across the province will “strategically position Mpumalanga youth to be amongst the first to benefit from the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention”, Tsipane said that they have heard the cries that the people of Mpumalanga have made about corruption that is ravaging municipalities – where it’s a dog-eat-dog world as officials fight each other over peoples’ money.
“We are committed to fighting corruption and maladministration wherever it rears its ugly head,” Tsipane said.
She announced –
– To do all she can to deal with unemployment, lying at 33.6% now, by making means of growing the provincial economy.
– To fast track land reform programmes, involving traditional leaders and having people receiving land without compensation.
– Paying much attention to the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market and its agricultural hubs to boost job creation as well as paying attention to the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone.
– Attracting more tourists to Mpumalanga. 2.2 million people visited Mpumalanga in 2017, compared to an increase of 2.8 million that visited Mpumalanga in 2018.
– Using R5 billion to develop infrastructure in the province “to ensure that we create a conducive environment for socio-economic development and inclusive growth”.
– Transforming the economy for the benefit of all the people of Mpumalanga.
– Taking heed to calls to end air pollution and protect nature.
– Entering into trade agreements with a variety of countries, like eSwatini and Mozambique.
– Providing plenty of housing opportunities in the province, like the Nkosi City Project that aims to create 166 housing units in Mbombela, a Smart City in Nkomazi and the Dingwell Integrated Human Settlement in Mbombela which will create 13 000 housing opportunities.
– Also the Matsafeni Precinct Integrated Human Settlement that will create 15 000 housing opportunities in the Mbombela area is in the pipeline as is the Secunda West Integrated Human Settlement in Govan Mbeki that aims to build 9000 housing opportunities, the Retiefville Integrated Human Settlement in Mkhondo and the Rondebosch Integrated Human Settlement in Middelburg which will together create 7215 housing opportunities.
(edited by ZK)
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