There can be no economic growth in Free State under ANC government

6 March 2019

Economic growth can simply not flourish in the Free State or the rest of South Africa with the ridiculous policy direction of the ANC. One of the Free State's biggest contributing factors to the national GDP, namely the agricultural sector, is repeatedly hampered by various factors like the uncertainty regarding property rights due to expropriation without compensation, insufficient drought relief and a lack of support for farmers from the government's side.

The R38 million budgeted for Macufe should rather have been used to supplement the inadequate R13,5 million allocated for drought relief. These funds should have been put to better use, like ensuring food security, stimulating job creation and saving commercial farmers from financial ruin.

The nearly R20 million reduction of conditional allocations for agricultural support programmes over the medium term goes to show that the ANC has no regard for the significance of the agricultural sector in our country.

The problem of unemployment is also not adequately addressed by the medium-term budget. 

The Free State's unemployment rate is much higher than the national average and it cannot improve if economic growth is not stimulated. The fact that the provincial Department of Economic Development is inefficient contributes to the high unemployment rate and underlines the importance of the FF Plus's policy recommendation that the number of departments must be reduced and that departments must be streamlined.

Black Economic Empowerment must be abolished, and the private sector must be enabled to create more jobs and thus stimulate the economy.

Municipalities in the Free State have failed miserably. And the municipalities under provincial administration are even worse off. The funds earmarked for the municipal recovery plan are insufficient and the money will be squandered by the municipalities in any case.

The wage bill of municipalities and departments is too high. The government is not supposed to be the one that creates jobs, instead, the economy must be stimulated through proper service delivery so as to enable the private sector to create more jobs.

The FF Plus's suggestion of smaller municipalities, i.e. one per town, with fewer staff and an efficient service delivery plan is the only solution to this serious problem.

Year after year, the ANC government implements the same plan that prioritises the same projects with the same reasons and excuses and year after year, their plan fails.

The people of the Free State are paying the price for the ruling party's misguided priorities.

It is time to fight back against this abuse of power, to fight for a better government, better service delivery and an economically sustainable Free State.

Issued by Tammy Wessels, FF Plus MPL: Free State Legislature, 6 March 2019