THE incoming Finance and Economic Development MEC in the Western Cape, Mireille Wenger, is on a quest to disrupt the status quo and reduce the province’s high unemployment rate.
Wenger, 41, currently the DA’s chief whip in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, will take office on May 15, with bold promises to improve the fiscal state of the province.
“We obviously have to lower the unemployment rate because jobs give dignity, jobs are essential and it’s a priority,” said Wenger, whose selection as MEC was announced on Friday.
The Western Cape’s unemployment rate stands at 30.4%.
“Job creation is something I care about very deeply; I’m on the job to create jobs,” she said. “That is where my ambitions and energy will lie.”
Wenger, who also chairs the Covid-19 ad hoc committee and the parliamentary oversight committee, believes in fresh ideas and building partnerships with the private sector and other levels of government, “to get the job done”.
“There’s a lot that needs to be focused on in the recovery and that will rely on partnerships in the broader economic ecosystem.
“It will require very good partnerships with the private sector as well as with different spheres of government.”
Given the difficult challenges she faces, she is determined to hit the ground running and to not back down from any challenges.
“I’m building on a solid foundation.”
Wenger needs to restore public confidence in the Western Cape government’s finances after her predecessor left her with an improper spending bill of R670 million.
“Essentially from what I understand occurred in that instance was that the prescripts were not followed,” Wenger said, adding that it was something she would investigate.
“That is something I will look into, because one of my goals is to ensure good, clean governance and a strong provincial treasury.”
Wenger said she would also focus on growing, what she called, the township economy.
According to Wenger the township economy was an integral part of the Western Cape economy.
“You can’t talk economic development and growth without including the township economy.”
Wenger said she also wanted to promote trade, investment and tourism.
She said tourism was a “very resilient sector”.
“As we can see it’s starting to recover very quickly. We also have some exciting things in the pipeline with air routes. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were felt throughout the tourism sector including airlines, hotels and restaurants as well as suppliers, farmers and retailers.“Tourism is a key pillar for economic recovery and that will be my main focus: to rebuild the tourism sector. ”
Wenger also boasts an MA degree in International Relations from the University of Stellenbosch, as well as a Master of Philosophy degree in criminology, law and society from the University of Cape Town.
She has also completed the Programme in Political Science and Sociology at Sciences Po (Institut de Etudes Politiques) in France.
She receives the keys to her new office on Monday.