Staff Reporter
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it is worried the land issue was not adequately covered in the State of the Province Address delivered by Premier Sisi Ntombela on Tuesday.
EFF provincial chairperson Mandisa Makhesini told The Free Stater the party is worried there is no firm commitment to deal with the land issue in the Free State.
“The premier spoke about the issue of land but we don’t see the commitment to address it,” said Makhesini.
“She acknowledges there is a problem regarding the redistribution of land and we feel vindicated as the EFF.
“We are always telling them about the problem of land. Now the number of informal settlements in the province has increased, which means there is a demand for land from our people.”
In her speech, the premier said the number of informal settlements in the province had increased from 143 to 173 and efforts were being made to formalise some of them and provide basic services.
About 4 872 land parcels valued at over R11 billion are set to be distributed to people.
At least 2 626 pieces of land are set to be transferred to the rightful beneficiaries.
The provincial government also says it has completed an audit of farms with a view to resettle particularly women and youths.
About 95 farms, which include resorts and nature conservation areas, have been identified.
Makhesini also said she was happy the problem of gender-based violence and femicide had been acknowledged in the SOPA speech as well as the hard work by health workers in the fight against COVID-19.
She was however concerned about the premier’s firmness in the fight against corruption.
“The premier was very mum on the issue of corruption. She didn’t say a lot,” said the EFF provincial chairperson.
“Last year she promised us that whoever is implicated in corruption would face the full might of the law, but today she just rushed through it.
“So, if she can fight corruption, we can all support her,”
She said her party will closely monitor the projects that the premier said were being implemented to create employment opportunities in the province.
Among these were the recently completed small and medium enterprise business hub in Ficksburg and a similar one under construction in Koffiefontein.
The premier also said 71 small and medium-size businesses are benefiting from the Contractor Development Programme under which they are getting road maintenance business opportunities.
The programme has been allocated R110 million for the 2021/22 financial year.
The focus of this programme is to develop businesses owned by young people.
The province also plans to create a Truck Ownership Scheme for 50 young people together with the Transport Education and Training Authority.
These trucks will be sub-contracted to local small and medium enterprises to transport goods.
Small municipalities will be prioritised in the implementation of this scheme.
Other projects are being planned in the manufacturing sector as well as mining, ICT and tourism.
Makhesini said the EFF will be closely monitoring these projects because they have the potential to create the much-needed jobs in the province.
“If those projects are implemented, they can help revive the economy of the province and reduce the high rate of unemployment . . . our people are suffering. We will be monitoring those projects,” she said.
The official unemployment rate in the Free State now stands at about 33.4 percent.
And when discouraged work seekers or those who have given up looking for work are included, the figure jumps to about 33.9 percent.
The province has the third highest rate of unemployment after the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.