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The DA looks forward to North West Premier, Bushy Maape, finally coming out of the cocoon he has been hiding in since September 2021 and dares him to deliver an actual State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Friday, 18 February 2022.

We suggest the focus should be on the following five key issues:

 Job creation: While still dizzy from his election as Premier, he announced that job creation would be his main priority. Five months down the line, the North West unemployment rate stands at 35.7%. We will eagerly be waiting to hear how his administration intends to create jobs, considering President Ramaphosa's assertion that the Government does not create jobs.

Rebuilding roads: Recent heavy rains and floods ravaged the already dilapidated North West roads and the province's thousands of gravel roads. The Premier must present a plan to deal with this challenge. Residents of the province, especially those of Delareyville, Mareetsane and Manthe, will need to be answered on rebuilding the roads and bridges that were flushed away.

Health: From a shortage of staff to dysfunctional ambulance services. In the 2021 SOPA, the Premier had promised increased community access to Primary Health Care services by increasing operating hours at our health facilities. Instead, more and more clinics, earmarked as 24-hour clinics, do not function as such. Regarding the promise of implementing specific infrastructure improvements to the four provincial hospitals and 14 primary health care facilities. Where are they? Was this achieved? Instead, Thusong Hospital was closed, creating chaos for patients and healthcare officials employed at the hospital.

Fight against corruption: In his maiden speech after his election, the Premier promised to form a 'strong battalion against corruption'. The State Capture Report volume 1 and the SIU report into PPE corruption implicated the province. The municipal rot continues to flourish, yet there has not been a single word on the way forward from the Premier. Where is the battalion, Mr Premier? Maybe a first step will be to tell the people of North West how far along the Lifestyle Audits of your EXCO members are as announced by your predecessor last year.

A working Local Economic Development Strategy: He should revive the local economy and create an environment conducive to a thriving Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) business sector. A solution to ensure that Local Economic Development (LED) Offices within the municipalities are functional and visible, thus supporting informal, small businesses and entrepreneurs to access funds, grants, and empowerment initiatives. Dilapidated roads, faulty street lights, water shortages, and electricity supply negatively impact small businesses. The Premier should also include a constructive plan on how Government will attract private role players into the province.

Bearing in mind that Mr Maape is the former advisor to former Premier, Job Mokgoro, we are not optimistic of anything new that will come from him as in the past five months he has been the face of North West Government supposed to implement his advice and has failed to do even that.

On Friday, Premier Maape should put the province first, acknowledge his failures as an advisor to the former Premier, be practical, and choose to present a service delivery orientated SOPA and not rhetoric!

Issued by DA MPL North West Provincial Legislature, Freddy Sonakile

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