Buffalo City Metro Mayor Councillor Xola Pakati says the BRICS sectoral meetings have presented the city with an opportunity to position itself as a tourism and an investment destination.
“The presence of over 500 delegates in our city serves to confirm Buffalo City Metro as not only an event, sports and tourism destination of choice but also a credible place for investment,” said Pakati.
The sectoral meetings, known as the BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Government Cooperation Urbanisation Forum, were held in East London this week under the theme: “BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution”.
The forum promotes engagement between BRICS states through cities and local bodies and at local government level.
For the Metro, the hosting of this major event is in line the Metro Growth and Development Strategy, Vision 2030 which seeks to create a well-governed, productive, spatially transformed, globally connected and green city.
Opening the BRICS sectoral meetings on Thursday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Deputy Minister Andries Nel said cities are deemed to be an integral part of development and require better planning, especially looking at the rate at which urbanisation is taking place.
“The main message from the delegates was that there is merit to grow and build sustainable cities,” said the Deputy Minister.
On Friday, the meetings will draw to a close and the robust discussions are expected to culminate in a draft declaration.
The outcomes of the meeting will be reported to BRICS Heads of State/Government meeting at the 10th BRICS Summit to be hosted in Johannesburg in July. – SAnews.gov.za
