The 2016 State of the Province Address

2016

On Friday, 19 February 2016, Premier Helen Zille delivered her eighth State of the Province Address at the opening of the fifth Western Cape Provincial Parliament.

Read Premier Helen Zille's 2016 State of the Province Address.

The Premier will use this opportunity to discuss the vision for the Western Cape for the next 5 years and beyond.

This year’s address takes place in the context of extraordinary economic challenges with credit rating downgrades looming, 8.3 million people unemployed nationally and a food security crisis. These challenges, which may impact the Western Cape if not properly addressed, require a clear plan of action.

And tomorrow Premier Zille will deliver a game changing speech which will showcase how the Western Cape, despite the weak economic outlook nationally, is bucking the national trend and making real strides in economic growth and job creation. This is in support of our long-term vision of a “highly skilled, innovation driven, resource efficient, connected, high opportunity society for all.”

During her address, Premier Zille will focus on various key points, including:

the state of the economy and the potential for growth,
investor confidence levels in the Western Cape,
critical support for small business,
the focus on skills development for economic growth,
the Western Cape’s strategy for Energy Security,
progress on Broadband rollout and the impact on eLearning,
the game changing Better Living Model,
key areas in Health and behavioural change, and
community safety.

What is the State of the Province Address (SoPA)?

The State of the Province Address is a speech made by the Premier or provincial head.
The event usually marks the official opening of the Provincial Parliament.
The speech is delivered in front of members of the provincial executive, including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Secretary.

Who can attend?

Ordinary sittings of the provincial parliament are open to the general public, but because of a shortage of space, only invited guests and members of the provincial parliament can attend the event.

Provincial Strategic Plan (PSP)

The State of the Province address will be an opportunity for citizens to get an update regarding the achievement of our vision of an open opportunity society for all as set out in the Western Cape's PSP.

The 5 Provincial Strategic Goals (PSGs) contained in the PSP are:

Create opportunities for growth and jobs
We're committed to creating an enabling environment to attract investment, grow the economy and create jobs by supporting high growth economic sectors.
Improve education outcomes and opportunities for youth development
We’re committed to expanding quality education across the province and providing opportunities for youth to realise their full potential.
Increase wellness and safety, and tackle social ills
We’re committed to addressing health, safety and social ills by supporting healthy communities, a healthy workforce, and healthy families, youth and children.
Enable a resilient, sustainable, quality and inclusive living environment
We’re committed to improving urban and rural areas through enhanced management of land, an enhanced climate change plan, and better living conditions for all.
Embed good governance and integrated service delivery through partnerships and spatial alignment
We’re committed to delivering good governance and an inclusive society that increases access to information, in partnership with active citizens, business and institutions.