The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo is concerned that in the ‘shotgun’ approach adopted by Premier Phophi Ramathuba in her SOPA address that the need to get the basics that underpin development right will be lost. More than 60 new lofty initiatives were announced.
Fixing local government, ensuring reliable water supply, rebuilding provincial capacity, and maintaining infrastructure must come first. We must get the basics right!South Africa, under the Government of National Unity, is in a better position today. Inflation has moderated, investor confidence is beginning to recover, and a national economic recovery is slowly taking shape.
But if we are to meaningfully reduce unemployment, poverty and the cost of living, economic growth must accelerate.
The question before us today is simple: what is the real state of Limpopo?While the Premier highlights provincial GDP growth of 0.9% and notes that the official unemployment rate declined to 28.2% in the fourth quarter of 2025, the expanded unemployment rate tells the real story: 46.1%. Nearly half of Limpopo’s working-age population is excluded from meaningful economic participation.
This crisis is not accidental. It is the result of decades of failed ANC governance. Collapsing infrastructure, failing service delivery, and the poor performance of the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) and its agency LEDA have steadily eroded the province’s ability to attract investment and create jobs.
A growth rate of 0.9% will not reduce unemployment, poverty or inequality in this province.The recent floods exposed another uncomfortable truth: years of governance failure left provincial and municipal infrastructure so degraded that it had little resilience to withstand the rains. The floods struck an already weakened system, and many municipalities remain incapable of responding effectively.
The DA salutes the bravery of SAPS Search and Rescue teams, Community Policing Forums, farm watches and farmers who stepped forward to assist communities during the crisis. But serious questions remain about disaster preparedness, coordination, and whether provincial and municipal structures have the capacity, and integrity, to manage disaster funding responsibly.The future of economic development in Limpopo depends fundamentally on functioning municipalities. While the Premier has promised decisive action, this will require confronting failures within her own party and administration. Until municipalities are fixed, meaningful investment and sustained economic growth will remain out of reach.
Unfortunately, LEDET and LEDA have failed to drive economic investment in the province. The Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone was proclaimed in 2017, yet nearly a decade later it has produced no meaningful jobs. Instead, the project has been dogged by allegations of wasteful expenditure and governance failures.Commercial agriculture remains a cornerstone of the Limpopo economy, but many land reform Community Property Associations struggle due to weak governance and insufficient support. Successful land reform requires partnerships that combine CPAs with the skills, capital and experience of commercial agriculture.
Economic growth in agriculture and agro-processing also depends on reliable electricity, water supply and functioning transport infrastructure, areas where government performance remains deeply concerning.
While we welcome the Premier’s emphasis on infrastructure, confidence is undermined by the poor performance of the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure and the Roads Agency Limpopo. Several key routes had to be transferred to SANRAL simply to ensure they are maintained.
Our provincial road infrastructure cant continue to remain an impediment to economic growth, investment, and job creationTourism also holds great potential for growth and jobs, But without proper functioning municipalities supplying reliable water, sewage and electricity services we cannot in all good conscious
While Premier Ramathuba made mention of the need to place priority on improving ECD through renovating 54 ECD facilities and constructing low cost ECD centres, she failed to use SOPA to ventilate the plans to align Limpopo with the focus areas outlined by Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, which include a strategic shift towards strengthening foundational learning focused on key elements such as expanding access to quality early childhood development, improving teacher support and development in the foundation phase, strengthening curriculum delivery in the foundation phase and protecting teaching and learning time.
Health in the province continues to be underserved and under resourced. The premier failed to highlight the real state of healthcare including the lack of equipment, poorly maintained infrastructure and high vacancy rates at health facilities.While we welcome the Premier’s commitment to addressing gender-based violence, the reality is deeply concerning. Statistics South Africa reports that Limpopo has the highest per-capita rate of rape cases against children in the country. This demands a far more serious and sustained response.
The Government of National Unity, with the DA as a principal partner, has created an opportunity to stabilise the country. But that opportunity must now translate into real delivery and economic growth for the people of Limpopo. This is the responsibility of the Limpopo provincial government.
As the DA we will hold the Premier and the ANC-led executive accountable.