Youth employment and poverty alleviation programmes high on NWest government agenda
Bokone Bophirima Provincial Government departments will change focus and prioritise programmes that are aimed at reducing youth unemployment and poverty levels across the province’s villages, townships and small dorpies areas. This was announced by Premier Supra Mahumapelo during the Post EXCO Media Briefing held yesterday, Thursday 31 August at Ivory Tree Guest Lodge in Moruleng village, Moses Kotane Local Municipality.
The change in focus as reiterated by Premier Mahumapelo, is meant to ensure that the provincial departments’ 2018/19 Annual Performance Plans (APPs) which are currently being developed, address the challenge of high youth unemployment in the province, which according to the recently released population statistics, is at 38%.
“In our meeting with the MECs and Heads of Departments, the instruction was very clear – they must refocus their service delivery plans and ensure that unemployed youth and poverty alleviation programmes take centre stage. It can’t be business as usual, we need to assertively and swiftly respond to the needs of our young people and the growing poverty stricken Bokone Bophirima population”, said Premier Mahumapelo.
Premier Mahumapelo said the Annual Performance Plans must now show the extent to which departments are going to not only create the necessary conditions for young people in the province to thrive through entrepreneurship, but to also show numbers of young people government is going to employ, including through partnerships with the private sector.
According to Statistics South Africa, the population of Bokone Bophirima Province has recently grown from 3.5million to 3. 84million.
Premier Mahumapelo also told the media about the legislative progress in changing the North West Development Corporation (NWDC) to become North West People’s Economic Growth Agency (PEGA), which as announced by Premier Mahumapelo during his State of the Province Address early this year, is part of the province’s effort to fast track delivery of services and grow the economy.
“Linked to this process is the migration of the North West Transport Investment (NTI) to the NWDC, and the dis-establishment of the North West Housing Corporation. This means that the NTI will no longer have its own board and the two entities (NTI and NWHC) will now be under the NWDC board which will soon change into NWPEGA”, explained Mahumapelo adding that PEGA will partner with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Public Investment Corporation (PIC), to deal with economic challenges the province is currently facing.
Pointing out the existing mismatch between skills that the province currently have and the economy, Premier Mahumapelo highlighted that through the Ikatisong School of Governance, the provincial government is looking at reskilling the unemployed youth, this to enable the province to become relevant to the economy.
“One example in this case is a limited number of meat inspectors we have in the province, which has become a challenge affecting the exportation of meat with necessary quantities from our province to some international countries. Because we do not have the skills that are needed in the economy, we need to intervene and develop this skill and many others required in the economy”, said Premier Mahumapelo, adding that some of the efforts will include attracting overseas companies to set up plants in the province as part of growing industrialisation in VTSDs and alleviating poverty, inequality and unemployment.
For enquiries, contact
Mr Brian Setswambung
Cell: 076 012 4501
E-mail: bsetswambung@nwpg.gov.za
