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A senior lecturer in political studies at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University says the mass out-migration of skilled people in the Eastern Cape does not bode well for the future economic development of the province.
Dr Jolene-Steyn Kotze was commenting on the mid-year population estimate released by Stats SA, which shows that 264 000 people left the Eastern Cape between 2006 and 2011.
She says Government and big business face the important challenge of retaining skills within the province to drive economic development and to realise the goals set by the Provincial Growth and Development Plan.
"Out migration, skills loss is never ever good news for any provincial economy, especially one like the Eastern Cape characterised by mass underdevelopment as well as economic growth in predominantly urban areas"
She says the Stats SA figures should send a red flag to the Bhisho government to try and do something to retain skills in the province.
"On one hand you have a growth in the middle class but on the other hand you have a mass out-migration of people as well .Where does one then achieve that balance where the middle class is sufficient to be able to drive the developmental agenda forward in terms of economic growth and business development?"
