Note to Editors: Please find the attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans from Dr Roy Jankielsohn MPL, the Leader of the Official Opposition in the Free State Legislature.
I recently visited the Lejweleputswa District and witnessed first-hand the state of our roads in the area.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) continue to receive complaints regarding the impact of the Free State’s poor road conditions on local economies and people’s lives. The R708 between Hertzogville and Christiana is just one of many such roads in Lejweleputswa and across the Free State that has become dangerous for road users. This is impacting on the local economies and even the ability of emergency services to carry out their tasks when required.
Statistics South Africa indicated that the agricultural sector is the only sector to have shown a growth in the second quarter of 2020, up by 15,1% while other economic sectors are in significant decline in the Free State. The agricultural sector is an important source of food security, economic stability, employment creation and social cohesion in our local communities. The agricultural sectors economic contributions are not only linked to the 7951 commercial farming units in the province, the most in the country, but also to a critical value chain of economic activities linked to various goods and services required to produce agricultural commodities.
In 2017, the Free State was the second largest income generating province in terms of commercial agriculture at R46,9 billion after the Western Cape at R64,4 billion. The Thabo Mufutsanyana District was recognised as the third largest agricultural income generating district in the country with the Lejweleputswa district leading South Africa in terms of potatoes and maize.
In spite of this, the provincial government does not recognise their contributions and support their initiatives by securing their safety, affording them a sound roads infrastructure to transport their commodities and shielding them from negative political rhetoric. Our farmers and their employees are national assets who deserve the support of a caring government.
The DA will continue to put pressure on the Free State provincial government to recognise the importance of a sound roads infrastructure as a crucial economic enabler for in a rural province such as the Free State.