His address to the province comes after the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced that there is a project developing in the province that will play a part in assisting the country with the current energy challenge. The announcement was made during Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona). He also stated that the province has already attracted well over R100 billion in investments in renewable energy projects. The project in question is by Sasol at Boegoebaai, other projects that Ramaphosa mentioned, is the Prieska Power Reserve in the Free State, and the Hydrogen Valley initiative in Limpopo, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Back to Saul’s SOPA, on the day he will be expected to give details on how the project will benefit the province’s economy and how it will create employment for those in the area. Not only will he address residents’ grievances but he will also boast about the achievements that the province has accomplished in the previous financial year. It has been at least four years since he became the premier. He has in his four years in the seat made promises to residents that his administration would overhaul the healthcare system, deal decisively with wastage across ailing municipalities, and attend to dilapidating sewerage and road infrastructure in municipalities such as the Kimberley-based Sol Plaatje. Has this been done?

ALSO READ: De Aar Hospital reservoir without water

The Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape has previously urged the Department of Health to set aside a budget to address the De Aar Hospital's reservoir, which has been without water for over three years. The reservoir was built in 2016. However, it was built on higher ground than the Emthanjeni Local Municipality's reservoirs. According to DA councillor Gerhard Engelbrecht, this means the municipal reservoirs require 70% of their capacity to supply water to the hospital. He stated the hospital now receives water directly from the municipal water system, but this is only enough to flush toilets and supply some taps. “This poses a serious threat to the hospital, as there is not enough water to reach the hospital fire hydrants.”

ALSO READ: Northern Cape residents see state of roads improve

Residents in the province have expressed excitement over the improvements they have seen on the roads. Residents in the Namaqua district said they can see an improvement in the state of roads due to work that has been done by the province's Department of Roads and Public Works through Operation Vala Zonke. A resident who frequently makes use of roads in the district, Marsilino LaPont, said an improvement can be seen since the establishment of the nationwide Operation Vala Zonke. On a question whether it will be a success, LaPont stated that this will be a work in progress and there will always be potholes on roads.

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