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PREMIER Helen Zille’s State of the Province address and her account of the progress made in the Western Cape give a clear picture of where South Africa could be without the corruption that has plagued many other provinces and state-owned enterprises, says the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Nothing says this more clearly than the Auditor General’s figures on local government where only 33 municipalities out of 257 achieved clean audits and 21 of them were in the Western Cape,” said Ms Janine Myburgh, President of the Chamber.

“This is a clear indication that the corruption problem is well contained in the Western Cape and it is surely one of the most important reasons for our success.”
In the public sector as a whole the Western Cape achieved had 83% clean audits. Next best was Gauteng with 52%. “The figures clearly show that the Western Cape is the leading province in the country and the best place to live,” Ms Myburgh said.

The number of jobs  created in the Western Cape had increased by 25% over the last 10 years while job numbers grew by only 18.8% in Gauteng and 8.8% in KZN.
“In almost every area the record of success is outstanding and the indications for the future are good. Even a field like agriculture grew and created jobs despite the worst drought in a century.”

The province also produced the best matric results, the best science and maths result and its internet connectivity is the best in the country.
“What I like is that we a succeeding in the forward-looking industries,” Ms Myburgh said. The green economy is thriving and 70% of the green manufacturing is done in the Western Cape and this growth rate is the fastest in the world, according to Moody’s.

“One can only imagine what South Africa would look like if it enjoyed the standard of governance that we have and if the corruption had been contained,” Ms Myburgh said.
 

Issued by The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry