President Cyril Ramaphosa has identified the Free State as a province poised to become South Africa's premier logistics and distribution centre, citing its central geographic position as a key competitive advantage linking the country's major economic hubs.
Speaking at the eighth in a series of engagements between the National and Provincial Executive Councils, Ramaphosa said the province occupies a unique position in the nation's economic growth trajectory.
"The Free State is uniquely positioned to be at the heart of our country's economic growth story. It is strategically located, making it a natural logistics and distribution hub, linking major economic centres."
Beyond its geographic strengths, Ramaphosa pointed to the province's robust agricultural capacity, established mining sector and growing potential in renewable energy and battery storage as further assets that should be harnessed to drive inclusive growth and job creation. He called on the province to share successful practices with other regions, noting that the Free State has set a strong example in delivering comprehensive agricultural support to emerging farmers and rolling out food security programmes in vulnerable communities.
The President highlighted several notable achievements over the past financial year, including the province surpassing its work opportunities targets through the Expanded Public Works Programme, which reached more than 46 000 beneficiaries. He also praised continued progress in health services — particularly around HIV/Aids and TB — as well as gains in the fight against crime.
Provincial plans draw presidential praise
Ramaphosa commended Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae for delivering what he described as an "ambitious, future-facing and outcomes-oriented" State of the Province Address earlier this year. He expressed particular admiration for the detailed planning around youth job creation, vocational training, agricultural sector support and township economy revitalisation.
"This is what the District Development Model we initiated in 2019 is all about – namely the finer, granular details of not just what is being done to localise development, but also the 'how' and the 'when'. Timeous implementation is the yardstick by which we are measured, and also by which we will be judged."
He stressed that the province's full potential must be unleashed through focused direction guided by the provincial One Plan developed under the District Development Model. With the right support, the Free State could transform its natural endowments into meaningful economic opportunities for its residents, he said.
Municipal crisis demands urgent attention
A significant portion of Ramaphosa's address focused on the troubled state of local government across the country. He noted that 35 of South Africa's 257 municipalities are currently in distress, with a further 63% considered at risk — including seven municipalities in the Free State that have been placed under administration.
"When there are weaknesses or failings at local government, it isn't just service delivery that suffers, but the trust between government and citizens becomes frayed. To put it quite bluntly, across much if not most of the country, local government is in crisis."
The President outlined steps announced in his State of the Nation Address to strengthen local governance, including a review of the municipal funding model and the establishment of ring-fenced utilities for water and electricity services. He also flagged extensive consultations planned around an updated White Paper on Local Government during the course of this year, describing the restoration of effective local government as central to attracting investment and boosting provincial economies.
Ramaphosa urged provincial leaders to match the identification of challenges and bottlenecks with concrete solutions and firm implementation timelines. He emphasised that the engagement serves as an additional communication channel supplementing existing intergovernmental frameworks such as the President's Coordinating Council, adding that being agile and responsive remains a hallmark of the capable, ethical and developmental state the government is striving to build.
