Chamber has plans for Alex
ALEXANDRA - The Greater Alexandra Chamber of Commerce has plans up its sleeves to establish a science laboratory to foster the learning of science in the township schools.
The Greater Alexandra Chamber of Commerce has plans to establish a science laboratory to foster the learning of science in township schools.
This was said by the chamber’s managing director, Mamiki Matlawa during a wide-ranging interview with Alex News, following the organisation’s award of Chamber of the Year for 2014 by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Matlawa said the chamber was to embark on a feasibility study in four months’ time, and once all the necessary issues pertaining to the setting up of the laboratory have been ironed out, work would begin in earnest.
“We would like to bring children in the township up to par with their counterparts in the suburbs,” she said. “We want our children to learn all the various elements of technology and related scientific studies at their doorstep.”
She cited the establishment of a Green Economy Incubation Hub in Alexandra, where local businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs could visit and learn about a green economy and its advantages.
“This will tie-in well with a science laboratory for schoolchildren as they can learn some of this issues at a much younger age to ensure that they fully integrate and participate in the economic activities in our country.
“We don’t want to perpetually remain known as the second economy [informal sector] of the country. Our desire as a chamber is to integrate these economies together and set up one and the same standards for all.
“We want a plumber in Alex to be no different from a plumber in Sandton. We want a plumber in Alex to able to do a good job just like his counterpart in Sandton. We want a plumber in Alex to be registered with the same standards as a plumber in Sandton, so they can equally compete for jobs on the market,” Matlawa said.
She referred to the current demolitions going on in Sandton, where old buildings were being razed to make way for new, greener and energy-efficient buildings. “We want the same for Alex, and we also want our business people to have the skills of the green economy in order to land the building jobs in Sandton.”
