Automotive park plan hangs in balance
DOUBT has been cast over whether the proposed automotive park on the banks of the Illovo River will go ahead.
“In what is undoubtedly the largest single investment ever to be made towards the future of Amanzimtoti and the area south of the old airport, we can confirm the KZN provincial government has procured some 1,000 hectares of land from Illovo Sugar,” said ward 97 councillor Andre Beetge.
A total of R11-billion is to be invested in the building of the park.
“The land is to be used to build the park, which is destined to sustain future development and job creation.”
The development was destined to be driven and administered by the Dube Trade Port, a Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) section 3(c) entity. It was initiated by then KZN MEC for Economic Development and Tourism (Ecod&T), Michael Mabuyakhulu in November 2015, and concluded with the sale of the land in February.
However, the acquisition of the property, which starts immediately south of the R603 adjacent to St Winifreds, is merely the first step in developing an automotive supplier and component park, with Toyota as an active participant, by 2018/19.
The park will create job opportunities for an ever-increasing southern population, but the process will only continue following an array of Environmental Impact Assessments, public participation and rezoning to a special economic zone.
“Phase one, which is a memorandum of understanding with eThekwini Municipality to build the park, is the current priority, with a view to affording much-needed job opportunities within the south created by urbanisation and the economic climate within South Africa.”
With the expansion of eThekwini Metro with the addition of several neighbouring wards from the Vulamehlo Local Municipality, this means more job seekers will flow into the area seeking employment.
Four vastly rural wards under the Vulamehlo Local Municipality in the Ugu District Municipality will be incorporated into eThekwini Municipality to become ward 105 after the local government elections on 3 August. This was due to the Vulamehlo Local Municipality declaring bankruptcy.
“The park’s success will be essential towards job creation and a reduction in substance-based crime statistics in the south,” said Cllr Beetge.
“There remains speculation regarding the number of possibilities for the use of the remainder of the land both north and south of the Illovo River banks. The desalination plant and both green and noxious industries, as well as social housing developments have been proposed, but no concrete decisions have been made and Illovo Sugar will continue sugarcane production in the area until differently advised.
The entire exercise however hangs in balance, as with Mabuyakhulu vacating his office as MEC for Ecod&T at short notice and being replaced by ANC provincial chairman, Sihle Zikhalala on 6 June, nobody within the department seems the wiser whether the project will continue in its current planning or whether the newly-appointed MEC will alter or merely discard the project, which could be devastating for people who merely want to earn a living wage to support their hungry families,” said Cllr Beetge.
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