The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape calls on the Member of the Executive Council for Finance, Economic Development & Tourism, Ms Venus Blennies-Magage, to ensure that the provincial budget provides practical, well-funded strategies to combat social ills in the province.
Continued high unemployment rates takes a social toll and compromises the ability of families to put enough nutritious food on the table. Research from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group shows that the cost of the average food basket in the Northern Cape increased by 4.6% from January to February this year, which makes nutritious food unaffordable to families without steady employment. The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa confirmed in 2025 that, while the Northern Cape is one of three provinces where South Africa’s agricultural production is concentrated, it also has the highest levels of food insecurity in the country. One in three Northern Cape families do not have enough access to enough food to meet everyone’s nutritional needs, which is far higher than the already unacceptably high national average of one in five.
It is only through consistent creation of sustainable economic opportunities that we can secure greater prosperity for the province and ensure that no child goes to bed hungry. We acknowledge commitments to provide social relief through community food centres, grants, and school feeding schemes. Considering that 110 children under the age of five died from severe acute malnutrition in the past three years, these essential measures must be put in place while greater economic growth is secured.
We therefore call on the MEC for Finance, Economic Development & Tourism to table a budget that will drive greater economic development and make growth possible. The provincial government must step up measures to eliminate political interference in critical projects, outlaw cadre deployment, act decisively against crime and corruption that robs communities of opportunities, and strengthen municipal service delivery.