ANC in Western Cape lambasts Premier Alan Winde’s SOPA

The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape has responded to Premier Alan Winde's State of the Province Address (SOPA), saying millions face service delivery failures, spatial exclusion and unequal opportunity.

Winde presented his SOPA speech in George on Wednesday night, highlighting jobs, investments, exports, tourism and infrastructure as major growth points for the province.

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The premier said unemployment is down to 18% in the province - the lowest in the country.

Winde announced that 93,000 jobs were created in the province during the last quarter of the previous financial year.

"Nearly 90% of all jobs created in South Africa over the last five years were created here in the Western Cape. These are net jobs, 90% of all net jobs."

ANC leader in the province Khalid Sayed has since slated Winde for failing to show how the province's economic growth provides more jobs.

"While we do welcome the fact that the economy in the Western Cape has shown growth, the premier was unable to break that down and to show how does that economic growth result in meaningful work opportunities."

Sayed said while unemployment has decreased, the province's informal economy - which includes small and medium enterprises - continues to struggle.