‘The government can’t do everything’
GAUTENG Premier David Makhura has cautioned that the ANC-led government was creating problems by pretending it could do everything for citizens.
Makhura was speaking in an interview with Independent Media where he outlined the focus of his State of the Province Address (Sopa), which he will deliver in Ekurhuleni today.
Makhura said while the government had to play its part in uplifting the livelihoods of citizens, people had to be made aware that they had a role.
“We need a shift in how government serves the people, and one of those things is that government must not pretend that people do not have energy to do things for themselves, or that it can do everything for them.
“I am critical overall that we have created an impression that even when a child does not want to go school, the government must sort that out rather than the parent. Whether consciously or not, we have created an impression that the government must do everything,” he said.
Makhura, who took over the province in 2014, said his administration had achieved key milestones which he would sketch out in his last Sopa.
“One thing we said was that the townships had been forgotten for over 20 years as an economic space in the talk about transformation.
“There was no dedicated focus to revitalise and revive the economy. I think my administration has been exceptionally successful in boosting the township economy,” he said.
He said his administration had opened procurement opportunities for up to 5000 township enterprises every year, with each department spending at least 30% in them.
Makhura said his speech would not be limited to his term of office, but would look at the track record of the ANC-led government since 1994.
“Gauteng province has a great deal of pressure, from infrastructure to schooling and the economy, because whatever number of jobs are created here, there have to be more because of migration,” he said.
He said the Tshepo 1 Million initiative, aimed at upskilling and opening employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth, would also form part of the Sopa, which would be themed “Reigniting the spirit of the people of Gauteng”.
“The next five years will be about jobs and boosting the economy. Of course, I am saying that because we are working on the basis that the people will give us another opportunity and a new mandate after the elections,” he said.
Makhura said while his government had built strong partnerships with the private sector, former president Jacob Zuma’s era had created problems for the province. “But because of the presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa, public confidence and business confidence in our government has increased.”