As the North West province grapples with an alarming unemployment rate that has soared to 51%, the local government is taking decisive steps to protect jobs at key establishments in the area. The economic crisis presents a daunting landscape, and the announcement of possible job cuts at local businesses has prompted swift action from the provincial government.
In a proactive move to prevent job losses, Economic Development MEC Bitsa Lenkopane intervened in the tense situation surrounding Buffalo Lodge, Golden Leopard Resort, and Food Lovers Market within the Mega City shopping complex in Mahikeng. The imminent closure of the Food Lovers Market, a vital outlet for residents, triggered Lenkopane’s immediate engagement with management to salvage jobs and livelihoods.
According to department spokesperson Jerry Matebesi, the recent meeting highlighted the failure to renew the lease agreement between Food Lovers Market and the Mega City Management. “The news of the pending closure of this important food outlet prompted MEC Bitsa Lenkopane to intervene with the sole objective of preventing job losses and livelihoods,” Matebesi said. “Negotiations of renewal have failed.”
Matebesi also reported that security concerns played a significant role in the impending closure, but relief is on the horizon. The good news for employees is that they will be absorbed by another supermarket set to take over the space once occupied by Food Lovers Market. “It is envisaged that another supermarket will occupy the space where Food Lovers Market is situated,” he explained. “MEC Lenkopane was able to negotiate the absorption of Food Lovers Market employees into the incoming supermarket.”
The situation extends to Buffalo Lodge, where more than 20 staff members face potential job losses. Matebesi shared that the MEC had received calls regarding the eatery’s struggles and is currently in talks with the lodge’s ownership. The goal of these negotiations is to foster an environment where employees can be trained through incubated business management programmes, allowing them to continue operation of the establishment.
Adding to the positive news, staff members at the Golden Leopards Resort recently received overdue salary payments after the province settled all outstanding third-party deductions, according to Matebesi. “The entity has been facing financial problems in the past,” he noted. “The Acting Head of Department Relebohile Mofokane addressed the workers who had gone home after several months without pay.”
Many employees had faced the dual frustration of not receiving salaries while also seeing deductions for taxes and provident funds go unpaid. Thankfully, the department has made considerable progress by managing to settle these deductions while ensuring salaries are provided for the upcoming financial year, bolstering hopes for better performance at GLR.
MEC Lenkopane remains optimistic that with targeted interventions, the province can navigate through these tumultuous economic challenges and preserve the livelihoods of its citizens.