The government of South Africa is set to kick off the ambitious project to construct 100 schools and six hospitals in Gauteng province as well as reopening of 70 townships schools that were initially not attracting enrollment numbers. The announcement was made by Gauteng Premier Mr. David Makhura during his State of the Province Address (SoPA) in Tshwane.

Mr. Makhura said the project will address the shortage of learning facilities in the province. He added that despite government efforts to streamline the placement of children in schools the challenge remains as more parents scramble for high performing schools. In addition, Makhura said the provincial government will also invest more in technical schools and schools of specialization. “Every district will have at least two schools of specialization linked to the 10 high-growth sectors,” he said.

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Infrastructure development

The infrastructure development forms part of Gauteng’s US $4bn set aside for construction and maintenance, therefore, creating 100,000 jobs and also the facilitation of 50 black industrialists. “In this project, we are going to enable 100,000 unemployed women and youth to depend on state grants,” he added.

Moreover, in healthcare, the province will prioritize 10 hospitals for renovations in the next 24 months due to the growing demand for healthcare. Six new hospitals will also be constructed in the process. “This year we will also complete construction of five new clinics and health centers in various locations to provide the much-needed health services,” said Mr. Makhura.

The Gauteng premier added that apart from the projects the government will also spend US $261m per year to buy goods and services from 2000 township enterprises and support 50 black industrialists to enable them to participate in the growth of Gauteng’s economy.