Plans to transform, re-industrialise and modernise bearing fruit

IN 2014, Gauteng Premier David Makhura launched a massive project to transform, modernise and re-industrialise (TMR) South Africa’s wealthiest city region.

Just over two years later, the TMR project has recorded huge successes. It is changing the lives of ordinary people in all three priority areas.

Bucking unemployment trends, Gauteng has, thanks to the plan, created jobs — 317 000 between 2014 and 2016.

The province’s mission to re-industrialise includes all sectors and areas. It includes boosting blackowned businesses, small, medium and township enterprises, as well as women and youth-run entities.

The government’s undertakings to empower emerging enterprises were not mere talk. Procurement of goods and services from township enterprises increased from R600-million in 2014 to R6-billion in 2016. The provincial government plans to spend at least 30% of its procurement budget on township businesses by 2019.

In addition, township enterprise incubation hubs, which are key to creating viable businesses in communities where young people reside, have been launched.

As part of the modernisation of the province’s infrastructure, the provincial government has spent more than R30-billion, and municipalities will spend R94-billion in the next three years on energy, broadband, public transport and water and sanitation.

The modernisation of the roads has seen new major road networks built and some roads rehabilitated. The government is spending R7.2-billion on road upgrades and expansion.

Makhura’s administration recognised at the outset that no amount of physical development would modernise the province unless its own governance model was modernised and included citizen participation. The participatory programme was the core theme of the province’s Ntirisano project.

Ntirisano (working together) — an integrated consultative and service delivery plan that involves communities — has given practical meaning to the slogan “the people shall govern”. The project has galvanised MECs, mayors and members of mayoral committees to maintain close relations with communities.

The TMR also sought to fundamentally transform the delivery of health and education services. By 2015, at least 69% of the province’s residents were satisfied with the healthcare provision, according to a survey. But Makhura wants more than an 80% satisfaction rate. Modernisation of hospital equipment is continuing with more than R3-billion to be spent on Gauteng health facilities.

Modern schools with modern equipment have been built since 2014 and the government’s generous postschool bursary schemes have continued to reward excellent performance by matriculants from poor families.