Premier Ntombela unpacks billions set to boost jobs and economic growth in Free State

Free State premier Sefora ‘Sisi’ Ntombela says that the provincial government’s priority over the next five years, is to see economic growth within the embattled province.

Ntombela was delivering the much-anticipated State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday, 28 February, where she announced massive plans for the central province to bolster economic sectors.  

Ntombela announced that Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMMEs) will be given funds by the department of economic, small and tourism.

The premier further announced that 164 businesses in Maluti-A-Phofung have been provided with over R2 billion.

“The main concern that the government is facing, it is the issue of vandalism which lead to the collapsing of the investments,” Ntombela said.  

“The efforts that have been made by the province and the agriculture sector it is to ensure food security by giving R100 million to imaging farmers,” she added.

Ntombela further announced that the province will focus on Cannabis and they still going to decide which part of land is released to facilitate programs in Lindley, Kroonstad, and Viljoenskroon, as there’s over 367 hectares of land that are still available for economic centre projects.

She said the cannabis sector has been identified as one of the biggest new potential growth areas, and the province will focus on the industrial and agricultural side of the sector – particularly looking at cannabis for use in medicinal purposes, healthcare, and skincare.

As she unpacked her speech, Ntombela said stipends of caregivers saw an increment of R2 000.

Ntombela said government will allocate over R22 million for the Early Childhood Development (ECD).

She announced that over 5 442 workers will benefit from this budget.

She went on to address that the R6 million has been set aside for social workers.

On the other hand, Ntombela said Macufe which was put on halt in 2019, she said the major event will make a U-turn this year.

“We are excited that our international festival, Macufe, will return this year after it was stopped in 2020 after the outbreak of Covid-19,” said Ntombela.