EASTERN Cape premier, Oscar Mabuyane, delivered the 2023 State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the Eastern Cape Legislature in Bhisho on February 24.
The address, which Mabuyane termed “a story of good progress”, focused on the achievements of the provincial government in the past year on various fronts, with the Class of 2022 matric pass rate high among those achievements.
“Among the key highlights of 2022 was the achievement of 77.3 percent matric pass rate. This is an improvement of 4 percent from the class of 2021. With our sustained investment in education, we are propelling our province towards the achievement of the current administration’s term target of 80 percent,” said Mabuyane.
He also spent much of his address talking about investment attraction and job creation.
“The provincial economy is on a path to recovery, after the devastating period of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. We recorded growth of the Eastern Cape Gross Domestic Product in the first three quarters of 2022. As a result, the number of employed persons in our province increased by 144 000 between the third quarter of 2021 and third quarter of 2022,” said Mabuayne.
He further assured Eastern Cape citizens that more jobs are coming from the R46 billion investment that the province has secured through the 2022 Provincial Investment Conference.
“To sustain the momentum of economic growth and job creation we need more investors to locate in our province. We, therefore, aim to use economic diplomacy as an instrument to attract investors. It is our belief that through pursuing international partnerships we would be able to attract more foreign direct investors that would create jobs for our people,” he said.
Mabuyane also announced the establishment of an auto sector aftermarket programme that will benefit 300 panel beaters and mechanics in the Eastern Cape.
“The programme will be rolled out by the Eastern Cape Automotive Industry Development Centre and will focus on training, capacity building and aftermarket funding over the next three years,” said Mabuyane.
He also announced an allocation of R100 million to Isiqalo Youth Fund in the next three years.
Mabuyane’s address also focused on tourism, agriculture, film industry promotion, SMME support, water infrastructure, youth development and women mainstreaming.
On crime and gender-based violence, Mabuyane said the provincial forensic laboratory he announced in his previous SOPA was now operational, adding that this will improve the provincial government’s ability to resolve cases of gender-based violence.
