North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi has unveiled several measures to help lure investors and create employment opportunities in the province. This includes the formation of several economic councils, industrialization and economic zone across the province the province. Mokgosi was speaking during the official opening ceremony of the Provincial Legislature in Mahikeng.
“We have appointed the Economic and Investment Advisory Council (EIAC) consisting of members of the Executive Council, Economists, Industry Experts, Organized Agriculture, Labour, Tourism Sector, Mining and independent Experts. The first meeting of this Council will be convened in the second week of August, followed by the Premier’s Infrastructure Coordinating Council which will drive the Mega Cities programme
for the Province through the North West Housing Corporation The work of the EIAC will be to guide the provincial government in the implementation of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and to develop sector-based plans to drive inclusive growth, reducing unemployment and inequalities in line with the objectives of the National Development Plan (2030),” said Mokgosi.
The Premier said government will avail resources and tools to ignite the potential of the people of the province to drive growth and the creation of jobs. He highlighted that the Bojanala Platinum District contributes 52.1%
to the province’s GDP, with Rustenburg alone accounting for 41.9% of the district’s GDP. This is attributed to the impact of the world’s largest mines in the immediate vicinity of the town.
Mokgosi said to harness this potential, government must invest in the people of the province. “We are collaborating with the North West University, the Departments of Higher Education and Minerals and Petroleum Resources to establish an Engineering Faculty in Rustenburg to respond to the demand for technical and engineering specialities needed to meet the demand in the mining and related fields,” explained Mokgosi.
According to the Premier, talks are underway with the relevant ministry, to remove the red tape in the issuance of the license for the formal proclamation of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mogwase. In addition, a full time CEO for the North West Development Corporation (NWDC) has been appointed and will work with the Board to appoint the rest of Executive Management Team.
“We are continuing with work in the SEZ to renovate existing structures and the construction of Phase 2 of the project. The main hub of the Platinum Valley SEZ will be housed in a 100-hectare site at the Bodirelo Industrial Park, located near the town of Mogwase. The site will be developed in three phases, comprising a logistics
park, light manufacturing space and heavy industries manufacturing space,” highlighted Mokgosi.
The province has thus far received R164 billion investment commitments for the SEZ. Mokgosi said they hope to finalise a memorandum of understanding with the Gauteng Provincial Government for the implementation of
the Lanseria Smart City Development, to be incorporated into the existing Mega Cities programme to achieve synergy and integration.
“The Mega and Smart Cities programme will unlock investments in key focus areas such as housing, infrastructure, transport and logistics, education, leisure and tourism, healthcare etc. Furthermore, three mega infrastructure projects in the region of R19 billion will be rolled out this year,” explained Mokgosi.
Other major projects include twenty-nine water and sanitation projects, seven roads infrastructure projects and the Matlosana Smart City Bulk Infrastructure. Government will also establish the North West Development Fund
to remodel and reposition State-Owned Enterprises, to ensure that they create economic growth to meet the developmental objectives of the province.
The fund will also finance various initiatives such as the resuscitation of the George Dick Montshioa and Pilanesberg Airports, agro-processing and mineral beneficiation industries as well as innovation hubs in the form of Information Communications Technology. Massive roads projects will also be undertaken, among them rolling out phase 2 of Nelson Mandela Drive which includes the expansion of the Danville bridge.
“This would include major rehabilitation of the road by upgrading it into dual carriageway all the way up to the Danville circle. We have commissioned work to look at initiating the Ramatlabama Freight Corridor through the creation of a Northern bypass from Rooigrond through Buurmansdrift to the Ramabatlama Border gate. This project will unlock the economic potential of Mahikeng and relieve the CBD of traffic congestion,” explained the Premier.
The Premier sought to assure that they will continue to support and intervene at municipalities which are in financial distress, with the Executive Council adopting pre-emptive implementation of Sections 139 (5) & 154 of the Constitution to assist Municipalities meet their Financial Recovery and support governance.
