President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to visit the KwaZulu-Natal province on Thursday and Friday to launch the metropolitan version of the District Development Model.
This follows the successful rural pilot launch of the District Development Model at the OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, on 17 September 2019.
The Cabinet-approved District Development Model is due for implementation in all of South Africa’s 44 municipal districts and eight metropolitans.
The metropolitan launch will take place on Friday in KwaMashu, eThekwini. The third launch will take place in the mining region of the Waterberg District Municipality in Limpopo on 26 November 2019.
Inspired by the Khawuleza (meaning “hurry up”) call to action, the District Development Model aims to accelerate, align and integrate service delivery under a single development plan per district or metro that is developed jointly by national, provincial and local government as well as business, labour and community in each district.
Each district plan ensures that national priorities such as economic growth and employment; improvements to living conditions; the fight against crime and corruption and better education outcomes are attended to in the locality concerned.
The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, as one of the eight metropolitan municipalities in the country, is a significant contributor to the national economy and is required to be a conducive environment for job creation through local and foreign investment, and for addressing such challenges as poverty, inequality and spatial transformation.
The eight metros are the drivers of the national economy, generating 52.5% of GDP, 57.2% of national employment, and 65% of all taxable income.
The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality achieved an annual growth rate of 0.94% in 2018 which is similar to the provincial growth rate, and higher than the national rate of 0.79%.
With the realisation that metropolitan areas are critical sites of creativity and innovation, the three spheres of government are investing a total of R28.6 billion in the next five years within the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality to jointly respond to the developmental challenges in the area.
Packed schedule
Ahead of the eThekwini District Development launch on Friday, 18 October 2019, President Ramaphosa will visit the Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone on 17 October 2019.
The Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone is a catalyst for the Durban Aerotropolis which covers over 3 000ha around the King Shaka International Airport.
It comprises airfreight facilities, the Dube Cargo Terminal, light industrial manufacturing and logistics and the Dube TradeZone, as well as an integrated agricultural precinct with a plant propagation laboratory, glass greenhouses, pack houses and distribution facilities.
The President will also visit the Mara Phone Manufacturing Plant which is housed at the Dube Trade Port.
The Mara Group announced plans to manufacture affordable smartphones in South Africa at the inaugural South African Investment Conference held in November 2018.
Mara Group will manufacture two smartphones developed in partnership with Google, as part of the Android One Program.
Following his engagements at the Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone, President Ramaphosa will meet with the Durban Chamber of Business as part of the stakeholder collaboration that the District Development Model advocates.
On Friday, President Ramaphosa will visit the Mtshebheni Police Station in Inanda to monitor its service delivery. This follows the 2017/2018 national crime statistics report which recorded that the Inanda police cluster had the highest number of sexually related crimes in South Africa.
The President will then proceed to the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu to formally launch the eThekwini District Development Model at a community Imbizo.
President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Deputy President David Mabuza, Premier Sihle Zikalala of KwaZulu-Natal, eThekwini Metro Municipality Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda of and members of the national, provincial executive and mayoral committee. – SAnews.gov.za
