The province of KwaZulu-Natal has a history of violence, conflict and self-destruction, but is currently making great strides in its objective to erase this ugly past and to entrench unity, prosperity and peace. The province has actually stabilised and is certainly in a positive mood.

The change in the political landscape in the province has provided hope for even more positive change, with the Office of the Premier taking steps to ensure that the institutions of governance are strengthened; that every aspect of government is reviewed, and, where necessary, new programmes and institutions are established or existing structures and processes redesigned.

The provincial government’s priority has been to establish a new governance framework for the province to be able to work in a much more integrated manner through, for instance, a new system of Cabinet and priority clusters aligned to those of national government.

Over the past year there has been a marked display of optimism by the people of KwaZulu-Natal in the government and its programmes. Along with the economy, contributing factors to the positive outlook include the injection of over R7-billion of investment into the provincial economy over the next 24 months, the successful holding of the second A1 Grand Prix and engagement of the leadership with the people through izimbizo.

The current public mood is characterised by an unusual confluence of positiveness and encouraging possibilities. Confidence and pride in the performance of the provincial government as well as positive economic assessments and forecasts have reached new heights.

Business and consumer confidence are at their peak. The rate of unemployment is steadily but surely going down. The economy is experiencing more sustained growth and all indications are that as we start the second decade of freedom, the province is moving towards a higher trajectory of development in all sectors. There has been an investment by national and provincial government of more than R5-billion into the province, including the building of the R2.2-billion stadium in Durban that will host one of the 2010 Soccer World Cup semi-finals, and R2.5-billion for the new La Mercy airport.

Government investment, particularly in infrastructure, has triggered exciting private-sector interest. While some of the traditional large companies are expanding their operations, around R650-million has been injected into the construction of a Tata Steel plant in Richards Bay – a move that has strengthened the province’s resolve to accelerate growth to combat poverty and unemployment. India’s giant steel and automobile manufacturer came at a time when the north coast was also experiencing growth in the property and hospitality sectors.

Having been one of the first areas in the country to have its IDZ proclaimed in 2002, Richards Bay is now beginning to respond to expectations of transforming KwaZulu-Natal into a real economic gateway.

The Provincial Growth Fund is a collective initiative between the provincial government and the private sector, particularly financial institutions. Among recent beneficiaries of this new government initiative is the Amatikulu Prawn Farm and the Bayhead Marine Industrial Park that each received R24-million.

In 2004 we said: ‘In the life of every society there comes a time when the door opens and lets in the future. That moment has arrived in KwaZulu-Natal.’

In 2005 we committed to building and creating a ‘normalised society and creating a winning province’.

In 2006 social stability and economic growth was set as an objective.

In 2007 we are taking the next logical step with the theme of building the economy through partnerships. We realise that economic growth requires a united and collective effort by all role-players and stakeholders in this province. We must establish provincial, national, continental and global partnerships.

Forging ahead
We are changing the face of this province:
• The Dube Trade Port at La Mercy, north of Durban, will provide a major economic stimulus by developing a world-class integrated logistics platform, and is expected to grow import/export cargo by more than 50%, as well as stimulate the local economy and create jobs.
• With regard to the agrarian revolution, we have the land and climate to quadruple agricultural production, and various large projects have been launched.
• A major coup was the mushroom and rice project, embarked upon with the Fujian province of China. Since this started in 2005, more than 30 mushroom sites in KZN have been established and already 70 000 substrates of mushrooms have been distributed, from which almost 53 tons were harvested. This has benefited more than 2 000 people. An estimated one million substrates will be developed this financial year, and about 750 tons will be harvested, benefiting up to 30 000 people.
• Other projects are the Mapophoma Maize Project and a similar one in the Empangisweni area. Others are being rolled out in Pongola, Makhatini (Cotton Outgrowers’ Scheme) and KwaNxamalala.
• In Estcourt, 700ha of maize and beans have been planted, and the Nguni (Cattle) Revitalisation Programme is underway, with the aim of branding and commercialising Nguni meat as a unique KZN project.

Our strengths in the province include:
• Stability: political animosities have subsided.
• The province’s strategic location and ports have become increasingly important.
• Economists and political strategists predict that during the 21st century India and China will emerge as major industrial and trading powers, to rival the US and EU. Durban and Richards Bay are strategically placed to handle the economic traffic between those nations and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Tourism has become a major international industry and KZN is well placed to tap into it.
• We have history and a vibrant cultural diversity. Last year, for instance, marked the centenary of the Bambatha Uprising, and the beginning of the Satyagraha movement, both of which happened in KZN. In October, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came to Durban for two days with a delegation of 110 people, 60 of whom were businesspeople and journalists, for the Satyagraha celebrations.

Our transversal and transformational programmes will give hope that as today is better than yesterday, tomorrow will be better than today. We will leave no stone unturned to unlock our capacity to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the activities of government and strengthen our relationship with our partners in governance.

The Office of the Premier will position all provincial government structures to effectively engage their partners – these being business, labour, civil society and the villages, to mention but a few. Our partnerships, both locally and internationally, will yield tangible results to enable this government to deliver on our socio-economic goals.