Eastern Cape: State of the Province Address

On the 22cnd of February, the who’s who of government gathered at the Raymond Mhlaba grounds in Bhisho for Premier Noxolo Kiviet’s (EC) State of the Province Address. Although the Eastern Cape is rated as the lowest performing province in South Africa it has launched numerous programmes to illustrate a steady progress. With the adoption of the National Development Plan which aims to write a different story in the years ahead, the Eastern Cape has established its own Provincial Planning Commission to table a Provincial Development Plan. The Eastern Cape has also launched a Provincial Job Industrial Stimulus programme, including a R50 million Fund, which is administered in partnership with organized business and labour. While the Country-at large has had to contend with an unfavourable global economic environment, the Province has managed to have employed 387 000 youth since 2010. This represents an increase of more than 25 000 per annum and places the Province as number 3 in youth employment in the country. With the priority of youth employment in the Province, a joint team between the Office of the Premier and the NYDA has been established to work towards the Provincial Youth Development Strategy.