Participate and put pride aside, says former Hoërskool Warmbad learner

Public opinion on matters relating to service delivery and commercial expansion within a municipal area is mostly twofold:

“People pay tax, so it is the government’s responsibility to resolve social, economic and service delivery issues.” Or, “People pay tax, yet law-abiding and skilled citizens cannot stand by and not do anything to resolve service delivery issues in their town.” “We need to change people’s perception on how we can retain skillful people to improve our town. These days it is just not as simple as being the local municipality’s responsibility alone, because they do not have the capacity to do it,” said Gabriel Phasha (29), current chairperson of the Bela-Bela Local Economic Development Forum (LEDF), during a discussion with The Post on the role of the private and public sector.

The LEDF was re-established in March this year.

The primary purpose of the forum is to act as a bridge between the private sector and government departments.

Any business owner, manager, or representative of a company can attend these monthly meetings where opportunities and challenges are discussed.

In addition, industry representatives are grouped according to fields of expertise and attend sub-sector meetings for example: commercial, agriculture, technical, tourism and so forth.

Members are then given the opportunity to give their input, as a means to stimulate growth or to give technical advice on how to overcome issues to the benefit of all the residents in Bela-Bela.

Phasha, a matriculant from Hoërskool Warmbad who qualified as a town planner at the University of Johannesburg, has been in consultation with various sectors since his appointment at LEDF.

“I have roots here. It was a simple matter of availing myself and see what can be done to make Bela-Bela a better town. The LEDF was the place to start,” he said.

He remarked that the overall image of Bela-Bela is at present very poor and does not motivate visitors to spend time or money here. This image must change to improve economic growth and welcome investors and development.

“It is high time that this changes by providing a niche focus through the LEDF to boost investment. I myself have slowly started investing in the Tuk Tuk delivery service. A service that is rendered to everybody in Bela-Bela at a reasonable low cost.”

Phasha is of the opinion that local and outside investors will steer clear where there is distrust between the local government and the private sector.

“I still find that the private sector wants to participate in the broader sense and still make a profit doing so. Jobs would then be protected. It is only through participation, by attending public meetings and creating awareness that this can happen.” “In terms of the decision-making, based on the LEDF strategy, it is the members who have the final say. We say no to any political interference. No politician is even allowed at the meetings because political figures have their own agenda,” he said. “Our playing field is level, yet we have to work in conjunction with the municipality and administration, to get projects off the ground. By politicizing a matter, there will be no noticeable change.”

Phasha invites the broader business community from town, the surrounding area, and the Bela-Bela township to attend the monthly LEDF meetings and speak their mind on improving day-to-day living for all residents.

“It is a simple matter of placing people’s pride aside and placing progress forward. No one can afford to remain inactive anymore. Meetings can be strenuous, but this is where people can understand what exactly is happening in the various sectors, how it can be resolved, and how to make the town prosperous again,” he said.

Inquiries regarding the LEDF or attendance can be sent to Rosina Molebatsi by phoning (014) 736 8037, or by phoning 072 111 2422/071 871 8575. Or alternatively by e-mail at mothokwast@belabela.gov.za(.)