Media Alert and Statement by the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Nomusa Dube-Ncube ahead of meetings with members of chambers.
Today I will attend two scheduled meetings with members of the Zululand Chamber and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry respectively.
We thank our Premier Sihle Zikalala for leading this province during this challenging period.
We have also been encouraged by the support we have received from the President of the Republic His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa and the national government.
I am in constant contact with the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel. He has been very helpful in ensuring that we have a clear understanding of lockdown regulations.
We continue to receive enquiries from retailers and consumers regarding what to sell and buy.
We can confirm that members of the public are allowed to purchase essential goods such as winter clothing, bedding, stationery, cell-phones and essential food items - including hot food.
Regarding e-commerce, restrictions on products to be purchased online and home deliveries - we will be guided by the minister and the national government on when this will be permitted.
Critically, as government we acknowledge that as we reconfigure our economy in response to COVID-19, industrial development will remain impossible without the co-operation of all role-players.
Today’s meetings with chambers and its members are aimed at discussing the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and the economy as a whole. We will also receive inputs on what we need to do, together, to turn around the situation.
By and large, we remain committed towards ensuring synergy within all role-players in the provincial investment agencies, local authorities and the relevant government departments involved in regulatory, registration, granting of permits and licensing matters.
Our targets is to ensure that we create thousands of jobs through industrial development. This will be driven by innovation and production of local products for domestic consumption and exports.
In this province we have Special Economic Zones - in Richards Bay, Durban and we are planning another one in Newcastle. An Automotive Supplier Park SEZ is being planned and will be located on the South of Durban around Umzinto.
As we battle COVID-19, our SEZs will be effective instruments to resolve the disturbing levels of inequality, poverty and unemployment. We want to deal with these challenges that are strongly marked by spatial, racial, class and gender factors.
In addition to job creation, we want to use SEZs to broaden the municipal revenue collection base. This is crucial in order to improve the quality of life in the municipal areas, as well as the quality of municipal services.
This makes SEZs one of the key instruments for municipal economic growth and development post COVID-19.
Over the next few months, we will ensure that municipalities are assisted to review their local economic development strategies to respond to the imperative of developing local economies that are driven by innovation.
We will also focus on the revitalisation of economic hubs and industrial parks. This involves upgrading state-owned industrial parks owned by Ithala across all corners of the province.
Enquiries:
Ndabezinhle Sibiya
Cell: 082 375 4742
Nathi Olifant
Cell: 060 970 5113
