He was speaking to business leaders during the second day of the Manufacturing Indaba held at Emperors Palace.
“This Indaba enables us, the Metro and industry stakeholders to identify and align with the National Government’s industrial development strategy and programmes,” said the mayor.
“These programmes mainly involve the Industrial Policy Action Plan and the Special Economic Zones programme which is key in supporting the development of the manufacturing sector in the country and most certainly in Ekurhuleni as the home of manufacturing,” Masina said.
The morning session also afforded the mayor to clarify a number of burning industry matters, such as the increasing illegal mining in abandoned mine shafts in Ekurhuleni.
“I have engaged the Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources, Godfrey Oliphant, about this emergent business concern.
“The issue of illegal mining has become a societal hazard, but also it hinders the city’s ability to effectively deal with housing.
“We remain in talks with Oliphant on dealing with how best to assist illegal miners as they engage in this practice due to socio-economic conditions.
“However, the urgent factor is to find an effective way to close off mine shafts urgently and where possible, rehabilitate land which can be utilised for developmental purposes.”
Masina has pleaded that the Indaba should work towards a common strategic outlook.
“Government and business must work and think together about how to better respond to the country’s opportunities for growth and use those opportunities to achieve the national objectives of ending poverty and reducing inequality.”
He also lobbied captains of industry to partake in the establishment of a University in Ekurhuleni so that there are correlating skills for the growing demand of industrialisation in the Metro.
