1 billion to improve township economy

Gauteng Premier David Makhuru was at  a one day summit  at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday to speak about the more than R1 billion investment that will build and improve infrastructure for township economies in the next five years.

The purpose of the summit was to give local entrepreneurs, SMME’s and cooperatives an opportunity to contribute to the Township Economic Revitalisation Strategy.

He said Gauteng government wants to make the township economy a critical player in Gauteng’s economy.

“We want 30 percent of the Gauteng economy to be composed of township enterprises,” said Makhura

He said Gauteng Provincial Government has adopted 10 pillars of the National Development Plan to show it is committed to investing in township infrastructure and to demonstrate it is serious about the radical transformation of the economy.

Premier Makhura said 80% of Gauteng people lived in townships, designed by the apartheid government to supply cheap labour.

The Premier said that the Gauteng Provincial Government was determined to revitalise and mainstream township economy by supporting the development of township enterprises, cooperatives and small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) that produced goods and services meeting the needs of township residents.

Makhuru said that R160 million will be invested for the current financial year to build infrastructure for the township entrepreneurs to do their work properly.

He added that his government had visited more than 65 townships and addressed no fewer than 60 000 entrepreneurs in road shows.

“We have listened to our people who have reservation about the proliferation of big malls in the townships, government red tape, drastic actions by metro police and a lack of support for cooperatives,” he said.

He also appealed to municipalities to stop penalising entrepreneurs but help them to develop.