Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Editorial Comment >> 1-16 November 2005
Having moved into the No.1 spot as the single most important threat to economic development and its positive spin-offs in the Free State, is the faltering of local government / municipalities in the province.
Having had Transitional Local Councils until 2000, that year saw the first democratically elected Local Councils in a complete new local government system with new local municipal areas, new district municipalities and a new municipal ward system.
The past five years in the Free State this new local government system had an open chance to prove its mettle, but now at the end of 2005 the basic facts indicate to a dismal picture. These facts are basically : Very little if anything to show by the 20 local municipalities in the province in terms of LED (local economic development) and SMME promotion; just about all the municipalities in a struggle for financial survival; staggering outstanding debt on the part of municipal services consumers; in instances violent dissatisfaction from local residents on many aspects of municipal services delivery; exorbitant salaries being paid to mayors, councillors and senior officials; local infrastructure basically in a worse state than five years ago, etc.
Thus not a nice picture; in fact a gravely serious one, because when municipal service delivery and infrastructure is in deficiency, business and investment suffer and with that the rest of the socio-economic body - jobs, growth, poverty alleviation, etc.
The answer? We do not know, but we do realize it would take just about a miracle. Perhaps the voting outcome of the local government elections set for 1 March 2006 might be a major first step in the right direction. Otherwise economic development in the Free State faces a bleak future.
'n Kommerwekkende aspek wat al hoe groter afmetinge aanneem, is die gebrekkige inligting insake ontwikkeling wat deur die Vrystaatse provinsiale regering aan die publiek en in besonder die besigheidsektor gekommunikeer word.
Voorbeelde hiervan is besonderhede oor die Uitgebreide Openbare Werke Program, die onlangse Inter-regeringsberaad oor Infrastruktuurontwikkeling, die herstrukturering van die Vrystaatse Ontwikkelingskorporasie (FDC), die planne van die nuutaangestelde Vrystaatse Toerisme-owerheid, die ontplooiing van die Vrystaatse Ekonomiese Groei- en ontwikkelingstrategie, die aanloop tot die Premier Toekennings vir Uitvoerprestasies wat tans gedoen word, ens.
Feitlik geen implementering van 'n gestruktureerde kommunikasiebeleid word gevind nie en beskikbare media word nie effektief benut vir sowel gratis redaksionele nuus as betaalde promosies nie.
Die gevolg is 'n al groterwordende gaping tussen die oorwegend swart regeringsektor en die oorwegend blanke besigheidsektor - 'n beweging wat die verskynsel van twee ekonomieë in die Vrystaat al verder versterk.
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