The Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape welcomes the long overdue proclamation by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the Special Investigative Unit will investigate corruption, fraud, and other irregularities at the Northern Cape Economic Development, Trade & Investment Promotion Agency (NCEDA).
We’ve been calling for investigations and interventions at NCEDA, because residents of the Northern Cape bear the brunt of an entity that does not contribute meaningfully to the provincial economy. The extent of mismanagement and maladministration at NCEDA are perhaps best exemplified by the fact that it took eleven years to complete the paperwork for a special economic zone, which was originally intended for a different part of the province entirely.
We’ve also been concerned about the ongoing lack of a permanent board at the entity, which means that the acting Chief Executive Officer is responsible for all duties carried out by the board and all operational duties carried out by staff. Making one acting employee responsible for everything done by the entity invalidates all the checks and balances that are supposed to be in place to prevent misuse of power, abuse of funds, dereliction of duty, and other forms of misconduct.
The MEC for Finance has pretended that the entity can function without a board until the mega-entity is established. It is indeed interesting to note that Ramaphosa’s proclamation is made just days before the MEC for Finance is scheduled to table draft legislation dealing with restructuring of entities in a special house sitting of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature.
With an expanded unemployment rate of 42%, the Northern Cape needs a provincial business entity that is geared for economic growth. The Western Cape has proven that provincial business entities can rise above macroeconomic constraints to rescue provincial economies, Less than a month ago, Wesgro as equivalent of NCEDA scored an export arrangement worth R300 million each year to supply poultry delicacies to China. With the right political will, much can be done to create an environment that is conducive for the sustained creation of sustainable jobs.
Unfortunately, neither the Ramaphosa nor the Saul administrations have proven that they have the right political will. NCEDA has only managed to create a favorable economic climate for cadres. The best way to ensure equal access to economic opportunities for all deserving entrepreneurs is to remove the ANC from power.