Securing funding is the next step for the Eastern Seaboard Development initiative.
Velenkosini Hlabisa, the minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), said this during a ministerial engagement session at the Wild Coast Sun on Tuesday.
He said the initiative serves as a starting point for unlocking the economic potential of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Hlabisa said the Eastern Seaboard will be located along a 250km coastal stretch between Coffee Bay in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality and Scottburgh in Umdoni Municipality.
He said the Eastern Seaboard consists of regional development anchors, rural service centres and dispersed rural settlements across and along the N2 corridor in municipalities within KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern Cape province, mainly by the road network.
The engagement session brought together traditional leaders, mayors, councillors and MECs from the two provinces.
Hlabisa urged the political leadership to prioritise resources for bulk infrastructure and basic services, lead on land tenure from traditional leaders, and attract private sector investment.
He said the District Development Model (DDM) will remain instrumental as an all-of-society and government approach.
“As such, we welcome the completion and approval of the DDM plans across all 52 Districts and Metros. This means that in one of four districts, namely Ugu, Harry Gwala, OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo, the Eastern Seaboard Development features prominently,” said Hlabisa.
He said the engagement session was for a progress review, where they reflected on the remarkable progress made in the initiative.
Hlabisa said the session also highlighted catalytic projects to strengthen traditional leadership and drive economic growth.
“It was also for stakeholder collaboration where we emphasised the need for cooperation between stakeholders to ensure the DDM succeeds. The Eastern Seaboard Development is a crucial step towards prosperity, and this ministerial engagement marks a significant milestone in its implementation. With continued collaboration and commitment, this initiative is poised to transform the lives of communities along the Eastern Seaboard,” he said.
Hlabisa said they will return with another engagement session in December with different ministers to discuss how they can get the money to start the initiative.
Meanwhile, the deputy minister of Cogta Zolile Burns-Ncamashe said it was important for municipalities, provincial legislatures, and the national government to allocate money from their annual budgets to get the Eastern Seaboard Development initiative off the ground.
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