The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal says it will reprioritise industrialising the province and revitalise factories that were shut down during the tough economic times.
This pledge was made by ANC provincial chairperson and Premier candidate Siboniso Duma, who said that this would ensure that South Africans have jobs.
He was addressing scores of people at a provincial Siyanqoba Rally at Madadeni in Newcastle. Newcastle is a key mineral and manufacturing hub in KwaZulu-Natal.
But these sectors are under pressure because of the closure of several steel and textile industries. Some businesses have never reopened due to the impact of Covid-19 and the looting during the 2021 unrest.
Duma says his government will introduce measures to stimulate the economy. He says the supply of reliable energy would ensure that the textile and mining industries stay afloat.
“The issue of energy must be addressed. It’s something that is affecting them. We can safely say we are dealing with the issues of ArcelorMittal/Iscor we know that we don’t want Newcastle to become a ghost town while we are in charge. We are saying that industrialisation in the Amajuba district it must be a priority and this area is also rich in terms of mineral deposits.”
2024 Elections | ANC campaigns in Newcastle:
Locals have bemoaned the lack of water, electricity and employment in the area but say they trust the ANC will improve service delivery.
“Now that the ANC is out of power in Newcastle we are struggling. There’s no service delivery of water and electricity. The local municipality is also not taking sanitation seriously.”
“We have no jobs. We need employment so that we can feed our families. The ANC has done a lot of good work in the past but we still need more.”
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has urged its supporters to go out in their numbers to vote so that it is able to govern without a coalition.
