The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Executive Council, led by Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, met for the first provincial lekgotla of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) yesterday, Tuesday July 23.
The two-day lekgotla, which ends today, Wednesday July 24, in Durban, is expected to consolidate the programme of action for the seventh provincial administration. The lekgotla will evaluate the implementation of key initiatives, and set a clear direction for future actions.
Premier Ntuli said President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined the focal areas of the current government’s programme of action. This, he said, falls on the shoulders of elected representatives of the people of KZN, to dovetail the national programme of action into one that will respond to the province’s unique challenges.
“The first task of this provincial lekgotla is to showcase the unwavering unity of purpose among all the members of the current administration in crafting and implementing the seventh administration’s programme of action. This is an administration made up of various partners, but one bound by the pursuit of a singular goal – to build a KZN that is fit for our people, one that engenders fresh hope about the future,” Premier Ntuli said.
He added that from the CEOs of multinationals to unemployed women in the most remote of villages of the province, there is an expectation that this gathering will usher in a change that will transform the socio-economic landscape of the province.
He attributed the province’s problems to Covid-19, the devastating floods and the civil unrest. He added that the recent veld fires have also wreaked havoc in the agricultural sector and claimed many lives. This exacerbated the already depressed fiscus and have had a negative impact on the economy, he said.
“As the president highlighted, we have recorded subdued economic growth over the past decade and a half, which means as a nation we have an economy that has constraints in terms of creating jobs,” Mr Ntuli said.
“We are encouraged that there will be a renewed focus on reviving our rail system, this should be the foundation upon which we build economic recovery of the small towns and rural areas. We must move the heavy cargo off the road and decrease road accidents while saving money on costs and national roads repairs caused by the heavy load.”
He said they have also met with young people to craft a strategy that will get them working, adding that they must engage on strategies to reduce the youth unemployment and support young people in starting and managing their own businesses.
Addressing the crime in KZN was one of the goals on the list for the premier.
“The fact that in some quarters, KZN is regarded as the capital of hitmen, where a person’s life is not valued – should not only embarrass but propel us to seek collective solutions to alter this narrative,” said Premier Ntuli.
“It is because of this reason we have incorporated community safety and liaison under the Office of the Premier because we want to add much needed impetus to the fight against crime.”
