COSATU Free State notes that on 02 July 2019 the Premier of the Free State Comrade Sefora ‘Sisi’ Ntombela will deliver the State of the Province Address in the official opening of the Sixth Free State Provincial Legislature.

We believe that this platform creates a huge opportunity for the Free State Provincial Government to make a clear statement of a clear action plan intended to address issues facing our province at a massive scale and which poses a serious risk of eroding all the gains that had been ushered in by our democracy some 25 years ago. 

We expect the find palpable signs of the new dawn as well as the ‘Khawuleza’ spirit now that ‘Thuma mina’ has been achieved through the ballot box and with our people giving the ANC a majority support through the votes despite the terrible conditions they have been subjected to in terms of poor service delivery in many municipalities in the province!

We expect that in her address the following issues should be dealt with decisively:

Ø            We need a completely new trajectory of thinking in the province with the instilling of the spirit to serve our people and to improve the standard of living of our members in particular and our people in general as directed by the Freedom Charter. 

Ø            It definitely cannot continue to be business as usual when our support continues to decline through the votes and our people are subjected to squalid conditions and yet we have secured political power with the intention to change the lives of our people.

Ø            The plight of workers and citizens ushered in by the municipalities that have been brought to their knees by extremely poor governance and management which led to some of them being technically bankrupt.

Ø            Clear plan on utilizing the students who have been trained outside of the country with very huge bills to benefit the Free State community and to increase the economic activities in the province

Ø            Clear plan on dealing with the dire shortage of staff across the departments including, but not limited to Health, Education, Police, Traffic, 

Ø            We need clear plans on how the economy of the Free State would be turned around within the context of the being a developmental state in contrast to the current seemingly welfarist state approach where our people are depending on grants and some even risking their lives like defaulting of life saving treatment to continue to receive grants.

Ø            We need clear and decisive actions against the chronically performing municipalities with our members and communities subjected to terrible conditions in places where they live. We would not allow the situation where our members and communities continue to be subjected to conditions like in Kopanong Municipality which could be a very close resemblance of a ‘living hell’ and it remains business as usual in the province.  

Ø            We need clarity on the future of Early Childhood Development in terms of how those workers would be absorbed into the persal system and be fully integrated into the basic education system. 

Ø            We expect a clear guideline on how state owned institutions should be turned around so that they may serve the people of the Free State for the benefit of all.

We would be watching with the huge expectation that the abovementioned issues would receive attention in the SOPA and will hold the Executive to Account on the plans emanating from such commitments.

Issued by COSATU Free State

Enquiries:

Monyatso oa Mahlatsi

COSATU Free State Provincial Secretary 

Cell: 010 219 1373 or 076 115 9923