Cape on a good footing, Zille says in SOPA

Premier Zille, presenting her eighth SOPA, said the province would focus on economic growth, jobs and skills development.

Cape Town - Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, presenting her eighth State of the Province address (SOPA), on Friday said the province would focus on economic growth, jobs and skills development at a time of mass unemployment.

With a handful of protesters picketing outside, Zille said the province was on a good footing despite declining business confidence nationally.

She said a capable state delivered services and created the confidence that was a precondition for investment, which would lead to economic growth and job creation. “History has taught us that there are no sustainable short cuts to sustainable job creation in a democracy… We are doing everything possible to make the Western Cape succeed, because we want South Africa to succeed.”

Zille said business confidence in the provincial economy is an important indicator of whether the climate is right for investment and job creation.

“In our province, we have seen an upward trend in confidence, despite declining levels nationally. Business confidence in the Western Cape is currently at 57 index points, 13 points above the national figure,” she said.

The premier told the House that there were 200 000 more jobs in the Western Cape than when the DA took office in 2009.

Conceding that the employment rate was still far too high, Zille said at least they were moving in the right direction.

“We are seeing a significant uptake in infrastructure and real estate investment, a leading indicator that investors are confident and committed for the long term and are prepared to commit their capital to create jobs,” she said.

Zooming in on Project Khulisa, a provincial initiative aimed at accelerating economic growth focusing on tourism, oil and gas, and agri-processing, Zille said the tourism sector today employed 200 000 people, with a gross value add (GVA) of R17 billion to the provincial economy.

“Project Khulisa aims to add (up to) a further 120 000 jobs by 2019 under a high-growth scenario, increasing GVA by 65 percent to R28bn,” she said.

The premier said the conference industry was essential to this growth. “In the past five years, over 120 conference bids with an economic impact of R25.4bn have been secured in the Western Cape.

“We are aiming to increase these figures through a dedicated programme to attract new conferences, and boost the numbers of delegates who attend.”

She said the second phase of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, a major infrastructure project now under construction, is another key lever for achieving this.

“We fought tooth and nail for sensible visa regulations and we are happy to see progress being made, although implementation has been far too slow. Despite this, December 2015 was Cape Town International airport’s busiest month in history,” she said.

International arrivals increased by over 20 000 year-on-year for the last 3 months of 2015, and domestic arrivals increased by 40 000 in December alone.

The premier said the province’s agri-processing target was to create up to an additional 100 000 formal jobs by 2019, with a 126 percent increase in GVA to R26bn per year.

Turning to skills, Zille said to support the growth targets, the Skills Development in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (or TVET) sector had been identified as a game-changer.

“Over the next three years, at least R534m will be committed to this game-changer by the Western Cape government and its partners, the Sector Education and Training Authorities, as well as the Department of Higher Education and Training through public TVET Colleges,” she said.

Zille added that their aim was to grow intermediate level skills, increase apprenticeships and promote TVET qualifications.

“Collectively, more than R120m will be allocated to supporting young people in work placement opportunities in 2016/17, with the biggest investment coming from our provincial government, in close partnership with the private sector through the Setas,” she said.

Zille called on big business to work in partnership with the government to increase the apprenticeship opportunities available in the province,”

Dignitaries arrived at the legislature one by one while a choir sang at the door.

However, the ANC Western Cape held a picket outside the building on Friday morning.

They demanded that Zille address the complete eradication of racism and instil a sense of urgency in dealing with gangsterism and crime.

The ANC also wanted a youth policy and a youth office housed in the office of the Premier and an end to abuse and eviction of farmworkers.

Picketers, under the watchful eye of about a dozen police, held up placards which read: “DA doesn’t give proper sanitation,” “Zille’s DA doesn’t care for poor,” “Zille ignores our poor farmworkers” and “Zille’s DA protects racists.”

The ANC’s Jabu Mfusi said outside the legislature they listened to Zille’s SOPA every year, and she never yielded results.

“Our people live in poor conditions and we have an area of Masiphumelele that always has massive fires, and nothing is being done.”

Cape Argus