Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Editorial Comment >> 15-31 July 2005

Editorial Comment

Uitdagende tye
Soos uit hierdie uitgawe van die Vrystaat Sake Bulletin blyk en soos onlangs gerapporteer is, is daar allerlei opwindende gebeure in die Vrystaat wat ontwikkeling betref. Hoewel die Vrystaatse ekonomie maar sowat 5,3% van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomiese koek uitmaak, word tans voor uitdagende tye in die provinsie gestaan. Daarvan getuig die potensiaal van die verklaring van die Noord-Vrystaatse Koepelgebied tot Wêreld-erfenisterrein,die besigheidsgroeifase van 'n dorp soos Harrismith, nuwe ontwikkelings te Kroonstad, die beplanning om die middestad van Bloemfontein te herskep en sommer talle ander nuwe inisiatiewe waarmee die Vrystaat vorendag kom. Wees 'n vennoot van die Vrystaat Sake Bulletin en seil die uitdagings tegemoet! Soos die spreekwoord sê, skepe is die veiligste in 'n hawe, maar dis nie waarvoor skepe gebou is nie.

LED
It has long been a fact of life that the Free State rural areas (platteland) is struggling socio-economically and that at most towns unemployment and poverty amongst communities are rife. To aggravate the circumstances, the quality of service delivery by many municipalities is negligent - so much so that people are resorting to violent protests. Probably the single most important remedy at hand, is local economic development (LED), to be implemented in viable and sustainable projects, progammes and strategies, with the nett result of tangibly creating jobs and new small businesses and in so doing alleviate poverty and raising the standard of living. The executioners of LED is foremost local municipalities, to be partnered by the private sector - all to be backed up by provincial government departments. But, alas, what LED results can Free State towns and the two cities show at this stage? How many jobs has LED in the Free State created, how many new enterprises started up and how much difference has been made in the lives of people/taxpayers? The answer to these questions we leave to our readers. Please inform us about it, and if you would like it to be published, just indicate accordingly.