EC in the spotlight as Cabinet visits province to probe issues affecting residents
President Cyril Ramaphosa will kick off his two-day trip in the province with a site visit to the port of Nqurha in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality on Tuesday afternoon.
FILE: President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: GCIS
JOHANNESBURG - The Eastern Cape will be in the spotlight in the next two days as Cabinet visits the province to take a closer look at issues affecting residents.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will kick off his two-day trip in the province with a site visit to the port of Nqurha in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality on Tuesday afternoon.
This is similar to Ramaphosa’s state visit to Gauteng in March, where he illuminated frustrations over the poor state of Johannesburg.
Cabinet has been visiting various provinces to ensure local and provincial spheres of government are aligned with national priorities.
Transnet officials will update the president about operations at the port of Nqurha, which is one of South Africa’s newest deep-water ports.
It has been hailed as one of the fastest growing ports on the continent since its launch in 2009, as it handles cargo for several countries in east and west Africa.
On Wednesday, Cabinet will then meet with Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and his executive council to thoroughly discuss the state of the province.
Despite minimal progress over the years, the Eastern Cape continues to face major challenges.
It has the highest unemployment rate in the country, remains among the provinces with the highest crime levels, and continues to struggle with education, recording one of the lowest matric pass rates nationally.
According to the government’s official website, just 19.5% of households in the province have access to piped water, which is the lowest rate in the country.