Thembalethu Qolo, Nyanga
Africa can work. Africa will work. But we must choose that as Africans.
Recently we held a second round investment conference in South Africa and the president announced a pledge of R365 billion. At the Africa Investment Conference held by the Africa Development Bank last year, 45 deals worth 32 billion dollars were made and mostly based on transport and energy.
Now we are about to have another one. But what does this mean for an ordinary South African person who is unemployed and staying in township
of Khayelitsha or Langa?
The country’s unemployment rate is rising to 29.1%. Earlier this year we held an unemployment conference but again no significant impact has been seen.
I think the county needs to focus its investment energy on departments that will yield results for ordinary people as they are the majority who are suffering under these economic circumstances.
When ordinary people see results they can easily adopt the development programme. Now we have National Development Plan 2030 (NDP), but people don’t know its relevance.
Leaders in government need not be selfish and greedy. This needs to be a connected chain. The country’s development plan should add value to the continental plan, Agenda 2063, as the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the ward should speak to the growth plan of the province.
If people are left behind, no growth will take place as people are the engine of society. For Africa to rise a plan must be adopted and implemented by the people.