Musina - Makhado and Tubatse in Limpopo are to be declared Special Economic Zones that will bring in R44 billion in investments to the province and create 22 800 direct jobs.
This was announced by Limpopo Premier Chupu Mathabatha when he delivered his State of the Province Address at the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane, on Friday.
Premier Mathabatha said the province, with one of the highest unemployment rates, was hoping that the creation of these Special Economic Zones would help eradicate this scourge.
“These two Special Economic Zones (SEZ) will attract investments of over R44 billion. The Musina SEZ is projected to create about 20 800 direct jobs, whilst the Tubatse SEZ is expected to create approximately 2 000 permanent jobs for the people of the province,” said a buoyant Premier Mathabatha.
He said partnerships with the private sector were also playing a major role in increasing economic growth and development.
“Together with the private sector, we have identified 10 major projects for investment worth no less than R46 billion. This will obviously go a long way towards helping us to expand the productive capacity of our economy,” he said.
The province is also undertaking a massive broadband connectivity programme spearheaded by Limpopo Connexion, a subsidiary of the Limpopo Economic Development Agency. The broadband rollout, to be conducted in two phases, will begin in the second quarter of the 2017/18 financial year with a rollout of broadband infrastructure in Polokwane.
Delivery of textbooks
Meanwhile, the Premier read the riot act to school principals, education officials and service delivery providers over the issue of the late delivery of textbooks to schools.
The provincial government has now ordered that all schools should have placed textbook orders for next year by April 2017. The textbooks and stationery must have been delivered to warehouses by publishers at the end of July, and be distributed to all schools at by end of October.
“Learners must receive all textbooks and stationery on the first day of schooling. I would like to call on school principals to ensure that they provide the provincial department of education with accurate data of their needs.
“Districts, working together with principals, must also strengthen the textbook retrieval system and continue to monitor enforcement of textbook and stationery delivery,” the Premier said.
On the issue of the rehabilitation of roads, Premier Mathabatha said the provincial roads agency had completed two new road construction projects in the Settlers and Legolaneng-Monsterloos area. Four more roads are to be completed before the end of the 2017/18 financial year.
“Over the next three years, Roads Agency Limpopo will upgrade 296 kilometres of gravel roads to tar, and further rehabilitate 303 lane kilometres of surfaced roads,” he said – SAnews.gov.za-TLM
