Ramaphosa promises Northern Cape ‘big investments’ during imbizo

The government has used the fifth instalment of the nationwide presidential imbizo to announce steps it has taken in the Northern Cape to deal with the country’s energy crisis.

Environmental affairs, Forestry and Fisheries minister Barbara Creecy told thousands of residents in Upington SA was gradually moving away from coal-generated electricity to solar power.

“South Africa is one of the top ten sunniest countries in the world and what that means is that in the Northern Cape you have the greater potential to general electricity than anywhere else in the country.

“We are working together with Eskom to start to build transmission lines (electricity-carrying pylons) that will move electricity from the Northern Cape to the rest of the country,” said Creecy.

The department was also working with premier Zamani Saul to develop green hydrogen — a new kind of fuel that could be used in the future to power ships and aeroplanes.

“We are working with the Northern Cape to find something that can change the unemployment problem that everybody spoke about and we can use our God-given environment to create work and to fight poverty.”

Elaborating on the Boegoe Baai project, President Cyril Ramaphosa said it will attract investment to the province.

“As we look now almost R200bn has been invested in our renewable programme and 64% of that has come here in the Northern Cape and much more is going to come. Already we are seeing quite a lot of job creation.”

The province, he said, has been able to create more jobs than many other provinces thus reducing unemployment.

“The Northern Cape is a big target for big investments that are going to come. I was in Saudi Arabia (for a state visit) with a number of ministers and some of the companies are seeing the opportunities in the Northern Cape with regards to solar energy, renewables and green hydrogen and they want to come.

“I hope you are all ready for the investment that’s about to come,” said Ramaphosa.

The president also conceded that due to challenges, his government has not delivered on some of its promises.

“The shortage of resources is one of the big challenges and unemployment that is very big here in the Northern Cape. Many of the people here do not work, we know that.”

He told community members gathered at the Mxolisi Dicky Jacobs stadium in the ZF Mgcawu district that opportunities must also be made available for those over the age of 35.

“Up to 60% of those who don’t work are those between the ages of 18 to 35. But at the same time, those who are 36 and above are also unemployed. They must also be targeted,” he said. 

The president said he and his ministers had noted the challenges raised and would attend to them.

“You have raised important issues that are of a concern to you and we are a government that has taken a policy position that no-one must be left behind.”

He explained the imbizos are a programme of the government to go into communities to listen to their grievances and respond in a co-ordinated manner.

“As we listen, we may not provide answers to everything that has been identified but we also look to you for solutions and answers to some of these challenges you live with.”

The government’s main constraint, he said, has been the budget challenges.

“The money that we have been deploying to bring in more health workers has been limited but we have been seeing as our economy has been growing that our revenues are going up a little ... And as the revenues grow, we will be able to do many more things.”

Sa, he said, spends a large chunk of its budget on education, health and social grants. “We are one of those countries in the world that has done quite a lot for the welfare of our people.”

But he said “the cost of living has gone up and food and petrol are expensive and everything has gone up, so we need to do more”.

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