The Mpumalanga Provincial Government officially opened its Executive Lekgotla on Thursday 26 February, setting out a roadmap to tackle jobs, water, and the rising cost of living. Premier Mandla Ndlovu addressed the gathering of government leaders, municipal managers, traditional authorities, and community partners, stressing that action — not talk — is needed to improve lives.

Premier Ndlovu noted that while unemployment has decreased slightly to 32.3%, youth unemployment remains high at 44.7%, with over a quarter of young graduates still out of work. Rising costs and service delivery challenges mean ordinary households feel the pressure every day.

To address these issues, the government has outlined what it calls “EDGE commitments”:

• Execution Discipline – speeding up project delivery, stabilising critical vacancies, and strengthening accountability.

• Delivery Through Partnerships – working with business, labour, and communities to grow agriculture, tourism, mining, logistics, and small businesses (SMMEs).

• Governance That Restores Trust – improving municipal finances, transparent spending, and audit outcomes.

• Equity and Resilience – long-term focus on reducing poverty, improving social protection, and strengthening climate and infrastructure resilience.

Water security was highlighted as a top priority. The Premier acknowledged that having full dams is not enough: “Winning on water” means reliable household supply, functioning treatment works, and repaired infrastructure. Three municipalities — Thembisile Hani, Victor Khanye, and Govan Mbeki — will receive targeted interventions to stabilise supply and reduce outages.

The Lekgotla also emphasised integrated planning through the District Development Model (DDM), ensuring that each district identifies key projects in water, roads, energy, housing, and local economic development, with clear funding, monitoring, and community involvement.

Premier Ndlovu concluded that the province must focus on real impact, not activity, addressing the basics that affect daily life, while also improving domestic competitiveness amid global uncertainties. The message was clear: Mpumalanga aims to grow jobs, improve services, and ensure households see tangible improvements in their communities.