Premier Bushy Maape urges the youth and the creative industry to be solution driven in helping government to recover from the ramifications of covid-19

Plans are afoot to resuscitate the creative industry with a specific focus on various artistic projects to help mitigate the impact of Covid-19 in the North West. This was a commitment made by Premier Bushy Maape during a stakeholder engagement with the creative industry and the youth, held at Mmabana Arts, Culture and Sports Foundation in Mahikeng.

The industry is one of the economic sectors which has suffered serious financial losses as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The youth unemployment rate has also risen exponentially in the last few months. Premier Maape maintains the negative perception that the province has endured over the last few years needs to change.

“We need to change the wrong perception about the province and we can only do that through investing in the creative industry and the youth. The history of the North West remains largely untold but through proper planning and coordination we can change a lot of negative perceptions about the province and attract investment” Premier Maape said.

Premier Maape, who was amongst others accompanied to the stakeholder engagement by MEC for Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation – Galebekwe Tlhapi, also urged the youth to be solution driven on challenges of socio-economic concern plaguing the province.

“We’ll be working hand in glove with the youth and the creative industry on various entrepreneurship projects to help resuscitate the economy” remarked Premier Maape.

Premier Maape also appealed to the creative sector and the youth to go out in numbers and get vaccinated. The province has just passed the one million mark of people who have been vaccinated. The province plans to reach population immunity by December.

Source: Government of South Africa