The DA denounces the superficial attempt made by provincial government to create the illusion of progress at the Upington Industrial Park, ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the town.
Before Ramaphosa’s arrival in Upington, for a Presidential Imbizo at the Mxolisi Dicky Jacobs stadium last Friday, the façade of the Industrial Park quickly fell into shape.
A container office was delivered to the site, around which a fence was erected. Newly printed signboards were also put up, as were tables and benches.
The effect was that a sandy island of land was transformed into the supposedly functional central point of the Northern Cape Industrial Corridor, under the stewardship of the Northern Cape Economic Development Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (NCEDA).
Instead of it bringing investment to the area, however, it came at a cost to taxpayers.
Then, after Ramaphosa was long gone, and the curtain on the economic performance had closed, the container and benches were again removed.
The fact that government would go to such extremes to fake activity at the Industrial Park, is a clear indicator that NCEDA is well aware of its failures.
Trying to camouflage the absence of real economic advancements at the Industrial Park, however, is misleading.
The DA will report our concerns about the sham Industrial Park to the Presidency, so that he can be made aware of provincial government’s attempt to deceive him.
The matter will also be referred to the DA’s provincial spokesperson of Economic Development, to take up with NCEDA, including probing the costs involved in putting up the weekend set.
At a time when money is tight and jobs are short, the DA cannot condone such fruitless and wasteful acts that do nothing to stimulate the economy and create jobs, and only serve to save government from embarrassment and put cash in the pocket of a contractor.