State of the WC Province Address

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille delivers the State of the Province Address to the Western Cape Provincial Legislature

The DA live tweets the address, see updates:

Start from the bottom..

• ... We'll carry on delivering basic services & housing opportunities to communities - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• The ANC’s thumb-suck figure includes programmes that had nothing to do with building and delivering housing units. - @helenzille #StateOfWC

• Annual report claims that ANC completed 15717 houses during '08/'09 but the FIU discovered that this claim cannot be verified. - @helenzille

• ...119674 housing opportunities over 16 programs creating 37,130 jobs & using the services of 147 broad-based BEE contractors. #StateOfWC

• 93% of human settlements budget is spent on housing programmes aimed at people earning less than R3500 per month. - @helenzille #StateOfWC

• There were 1739 road deaths in the year before we came into office. 1216 during 2013. An overall decrease of 30.1%. - @helenzille #StateOfWC

• We have also repeatedly lobbied National Minister & President Jacob Zuma to reinstate specialised gang units in WC. - @helenzille #StateOfWC

• We warmly congratulated the SAPS for their recent success in securing convictions against high profile gangsters - @helenzille #StateOfWC

• ... aim to establish a WC Police Ombudsman who will be empowered to investigate reports of police corruption. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• (Khayelitsha) Commission begun public hearings... I look forward to receiving its recommendations. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• We have introduced a number of interventions to improve policing in the province over the last five years. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• Ons beplan ook om nog jeugkafees in Nyanga Junction, Atlantis, Vredendal, Bredasdorp & Oudtshoorn oop te maak - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• I am also excited to announce that, together with the City, we opened the country's first youth café in Rocklands in January. - @helenzille

• Our MOD centre programme provides learners a safe, fun place to play sport & participate in cultural activities - @helenzille #StateOfWC

• As soon as we assumed office 5 years ago we embarked on a major substance abuse programme. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• Substance abuse robs people of opportunity. It also threatens social cohesion. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• The Western Cape also has the lowest mother-to-child HIV transmission rate - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 7 clinics, 12 ambulance stations or disaster management centres, 8 district hospitals... @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• We have spent R2.7 billion on health infrastructure over the last four years - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 80% of patients at WC hospitals receive free treatment or pay a nominal fee. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• The WC is committed to providing opportunity to every learner that arrives in this province. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• We will not rest until every child has internationally bench marked quality education - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• We are the only province that conducts rigorous competency testing for matric markers. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• The number of learners achieving passes has more than doubled in poor communities since 2009. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• When we took over the WC the drop out rate was over 60%. We have now upped the Retention rate to 52%. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• We exceeded out target for NSC passes. - @helenzille #SOPA #StateOfWC

• The WC government pays the highest amount of money to schools who qualify for no fee status. R90 million. @helenzille #WCSOPA #StateOfWC

• We spent 80% of our education budget on the poorest 60% of learners - @helenzille #WCSOPA #StateOfWC

• Creating opportunities in the rural economy is critical if we are to break the cycle of poverty & develop social cohesion. @helenzille #SOPA

• A 5% increase in agriculture trade could create 23 000 jobs. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• New: In order to maximise trade ans tourism we have developed a new international relations strategy - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• New: Our government is committed to developing the skills of young people in this province - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• New: Over 4000 Young South Africans have benefited from the WC Work & Skills programme. @helenzille #SOPA #StateOfWC

• New: I'm delighted a few of the young people who've benefitted from our skills programme are here today - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• New: This is not the first time that major projects have been blocked by the national government. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 1 minute ago: You wouldn't know a good story if you fell over one! - @helenzille to ANC MPP #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 1 minute ago: Our government is committed to connecting the Western Cape to high speed broadband (Internet). - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 2minutes ago: We commit ourselves to cooperative government at all times. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 3minutes ago: The Saldanha IDZ is expected to create 2600 direct jobs by the end of its first year. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 2minutes ago: All of these investments have created thousands of jobs... - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 3minutes ago: A new wind tower manufacturing factory will be opened in Atlantis. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 4minutes ago: Atlantis has traditionally been neglected... New investors are now moving into the area - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 6minutes ago: Our commitment to developing a corruption free, efficient government has resulted in R200 billion in FDI - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 7minutes ago: Corruption makes poor people poorer. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 8minutes ago: We established our red tape reduction unit to assist SMME's... The first of any government in the country. - @helenzille #SOPA #StateOfWC

• 9minutes ago: Enterprise development fund has committed to just under R20 million to small, black owned businesses. 52% are female owned. #SOPA #StateOfWC

• 11minutes ago: Are we translating Madiba's vision of opportunity into action for all? - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 11minutes ago: We have prioritised providing support to SMME's. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 12minutes ago: Our government had resolved to align everything with our objective of combating poverty - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 13minutes ago: Premier @helenzille thanks special guests, disaster Management officials. #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 14minutes ago: This is an important meeting to tell the voters what they voted for in 2009. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 16minutes ago: We have shifted resources into create opportunity and growth. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

• 16minutes ago: Progress is the product of partnerships. That it why we say: Better Together. - @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

•  18minutes ago: 20 years ago... Nelson Mandela stood on the grand parade... undertook to create a better life... For All. @helenzille #StateOfWC #SOPA

Click here to read the full speech addressed by Helen Zille