Highlighting the EC’s priorities

The EC has again outperformed other provinces by meeting housing targets.

The Eastern Cape will focus on dealing with the challenges in education, improving healthcare and providing decent housing in this financial year.

In his State of the Province Address Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle called on all stakeholders to work with government to deliver its mandate.

“ The provision of quality education is a collective concern of all of us, as parents, citizens and stakeholders in industry and all other sectors,” he said.

In recent years, the Eastern Cape’s Grade 12 classes have not performed well and Premier Masualle says this will change as a result of the plan the provincial government has implemented. 

It focuses on turning the education system around, by focusing on different aspects.

“At the beginning of 2016, we tabled a three-year education transformation plan, which focuses on, among other things, increasing the number of functional schools and the rationalisation and realignment of small and unviable schools.”

Transforming healthcare

Premier Masualle said priority will also be given to improving healthcare in the province. 

“The second area of our focus has been on improving the health profile of our province. It is our health that ensures we get to live and thrive longer.

“The improvement of the health status of the province depends on us addressing the critical social determinants of health, which include income and social status, social support networks, employment and working conditions and healthy child development.”

The province has succeed in reducing the infant and child mortality rates for children under five have been reduced to 12.8 per 100 000 children.

Decent housing

Every year the Eastern Cape provincial government outperforms other provinces in housing construction. Its performance in housing delivery has required that it sources additional funding from national government.

“The department has delivered 38 345 housing units and installed 31 945 services since 2014. I can also report that the department has again won the National Govan Mbeki Social Housing Award, Peoples Housing Process and Best Informal Development Project awards, among others.

 In the coming financial year the province will focus on new housing units for the destitute, military veterans and beneficiaries affected by disasters.

“The department will also be working more closely with all municipalities through Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to ensure improved integrated spatial planning of all projects, to adhere to the objectives as outlined in the Provincial Development Plan,” the Premier confirmed.