The Local Economic Development (LED) Forum has been given wide publicity, especially from the unemployed youth who demand its disbanding.
The Standerton Advertiser contacted Lubabalo Majenge, communications manager at the Lekwa Municipality, for their views on the forum.
According to Majenge, Lekwa has no backlog as they checked, processed and approved all applications.
Informal businesses also qualify. There are 24 business structures in the forum and 23 members were elected to serve as office bearers.
Business structures were invited through a public notice, whereby they outlined qualifying criteria. Structures were requested to submit two delegates to attend the launch of the LED Forum.
The meeting was held at the Standerton Town Hall on November 22, 2022. A democratic process of electing of office bearers followed by voting through a showing of hands.
Those with a majority votes were elected to serve. The newspaper asked why the unemployed youth are adamant that the forum should be disbanded.
“There might be various reasons, including that the LED forum did not meet their expectations of creating jobs for everyone in Lekwa,” Majenge said.
The forum engaged companies operating in Lekwa to prioritise local people when there are available opportunities in the companies.
He said some local people have benefitted through the engagements between the forum and big companies operating within Lekwa.