The Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, has hailed the R15 billion Westown Development, situated between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, as a prime example of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors collaborate to unlock local investment, drive economic growth, and create employment opportunities. Visiting the mixed-use development on Monday afternoon with KwaZulu-Natal Public Works & Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer and eThekwini Deputy Mayor, Zandile Myeni, Minister Macpherson noted that this development— believed to be Durban's largest since the 2010 FIFA World Cup—will be instrumental in improving the lives of the people of Shongweni. The development is registered as a Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) under the Infrastructure Development Act.
“When I was appointed as Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure in July last year, I said that my goal over the next five years will be to turn South Africa into a construction site. But, this goal can only be realised if we work with the private sector to unlock further investment as we have seen with the Westown development. The R15 billion Development is a prime example of how this can be achieved,” Minister Macpherson said.
“The Westown development triggered much-needed investment in bulk infrastructure for the region such as roads, water and sanitation, by the City of eThekwini. This in turn attracted billions of rands in private sector investment which has led to 1000 construction jobs being created over the past 18 months. . It is anticipated that another 8,500 permanent jobs will be created when the full development is completed,
significantly improving the lives of many households in Durban’s Outer West. To meaningfully grow the economy and create jobs, we need to replicate developments like Westown across the country in the months and years ahead.”
Minister Macpherson applauded the ongoing collaboration between Westown developers, Fundamentum, and the City of eThekwini, which facilitated the successful launch of the development by removing bureaucratic hurdles. To date, the city has spent R594 million on bulk infrastructure to support the project. This, Minister Macpherson highlighted, demonstrates how partnerships with the private sector can unlock infrastructure investment across the country.
“The collaborative work between Fundamentum and the City of eThekwini underscores the importance of public-private partnerships in unlocking infrastructure investment. The public sector alone cannot finance or construct large-scale infrastructure projects. This is why agencies such as Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), under the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure, are critical to driving infrastructure investment nationwide. We will be working with Infrastructure SA to unlock further funding for the project in the months ahead, and I look forward to ISA unlock other projects like Westown, which will stimulate economic growth and create much-needed jobs, thereby improving the lives of our people.”
Enquiries:
James de Villiers
Spokesperson to Minister Macpherson
Cell: 082 766 0276
Email: James.devilliers@dpw.gov.za
Cara Reilly
Westown Marketing Executive
Cell: 083 372 1558
Email: Cara.reilly@westown.co.za
www.westown.co.za
