Premier welcomes announcement of date for opening of 2nd Session of 7th Western Cape Provincial Parliament and 2025 State of the Province Address
Premier Alan Winde warmly welcomes the announcement that the official opening of the 2nd session of the 7th Western Cape Provincial Parliament (WCPP), where he will deliver his 2025 State of the Province Address (SOPA), will be held on Wednesday, 26 February 2025 in the central Karoo.
“In keeping with our commitment to bringing the Western Cape Government (WCG) and WCPP closer to the residents of our province, this important event will be held in Beaufort West. As a resident-obsessed government, we must take our government “on the road”. At all times we must be upfront and honest with the people of this remarkable province and tell them what we are doing to improve our work,” stated Premier Winde.
In previous years the opening of the WCPP and SOPA has been held as far afield as Velddrif and Genadendal. Last year, the Premier, his Cabinet and presiding officers of the provincial parliament held the event in Paarl.
The Premier will use the occasion of the 2025 SOPA to report back to residents of the Western Cape on the progress the provincial government has made in implementing its priorities over the past year and to further outline the priorities of the WCG for 2025. He said, “In 2025 we are facing many of the same challenges of the past year. Job creation, safety, energy, and water resilience, as well as mitigating climate change remain among our most critical focus areas, which we are committed to addressing with urgency and determination.”
He added, “We capped off 2024 on an encouraging note with the province’s unemployment rate dropping to below 20% for the first time in a decade. Along with many of our municipalities, we are also making steady progress in shoring up our energy security. Our crime-fighting efforts are also paying off, which were reflected in the last set of crime statistics revealing an 8.7% decrease in murder. But, at the same time, we acknowledge, that we have a long road ahead of us still in tackling these pressing issues.”