Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Editorial Comment >> 31 July 2007

Editorial Comment

Strength in unity
This edition of the Free State Business Bulletin carries a wide range of reporting on economic, business and social developments in the Free State – such as huge property developments around Bloemfontein, the residential planning vision of Mangaung Municipality for its area, the new coal mine in the province, Free State guest participation in Accenta 2007 in Belgium, the launch of the FS Contractors Development Programme, an export awareness campaign for the province, etc. All this indicate that the Free State is moving, but two features concerning the province's economic progress stand out: Firstly, as a presentation by the big brass of the Industrial Development Corporation in Bloemfontein has indicated, the progress of the Free State in comparison with other provinces is too slow. We don't utilize our development capacity properly, while the rate of unemployment in the province is exceptionally high. Secondly, there is a widening rift between government and private sector, as well as between black and white groups in the province. Government plans all kinds of projects, but the private sector has a minimal role in it and its execution. Moreover, it seems that whites are left out of government planning, for instance the provincial contractor development policy focuses entirely on “previously disadvantaged” and appears to ignore that in the year 2007 – 13 years into the new dispensation – there are citizens in the Free State other than the “previously disadvantaged”. For any organisation or body, its real strength and progress lies in unity. A house divided, will fall, is an old maxim.

Congratulations to FS entrepreneurs
The youth of this province is indeed excelling in entrepreneurship – the best in the country in fact. During the past two months respectively the team of the Eunice Girls High School won the SAGES national competition in entrepreneurship for schools and is to participate in the world champs in August 2007 at Odessa, Ukraine, while the team of the University of the Free State won the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) national competition and is to compete now in the world champs in October 2007 in New York. Great achievements – well done! And we hold thumbs for coming competitions on the world stage.