Cooperatives, Public Private Partnerships, small towns, military agri-villages and organised agriculture in the North West province stand to benefit from a ground-breaking pilot project to be rolled out through a partnership led by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in partnership with the North West Provincial Government and the North West University (NWU).
“The review of the SANDF procurement policies is a welcome development to provide for local procurement that will not only stimulate and boost local economies but will impact positively on rural development,” said an upbeat Premier Thandi Modise in response to a presentation made by the SANDF’s Brigadier General Dr Gerhard Kamffer in Mahikeng on Tuesday afternoon.
Modise said that the ration spending of over R73 million by the SANDF will be a massive contribution that should facilitate the activation of the rural stakeholders close to military establishments.
Premier Modise said that job creation and local economic development in Tlokwe Local Municipality should be boosted by over R61 million spend on military masses in Potchefstroom.
General Kamffer in his briefing to Premier Modise, MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Desbo Mohono and the delegation from the NWU led by Professor Sevid Mashego highlighted that the SANDF will use its footprint in rural and semi-rural areas in terms of its units, land and spending of resources in conjunction with local communities, rural towns, the provincial government and other stakeholders to augment and catalyse rural developmental initiatives.
Kamffer said that the SANDF will provide nodal points or hubs from which community engagement, stakeholder coordination; specific infrastructural requirements toward creating viable sustainable local economies can take place.
The General further said that the SANDF (the army) use its capacity in terms of the new youth skills development programme, the National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC) to recruit, train and place para-professionals and artisans back in their own rural communities to play a role for the development of their own communities.
General Kamffer said that the army would recruit former regular and reserve members with experience in agriculture and business to assist this effort and could also in a limited way and within its area of competence fix roads, build brigdes, water sanitation, health interventions and basic infrastructure repairs.
He stressed that the SANDF involvement will be configured without adversely affecting its core business. In committing to support implementation of the pilot project, Professor Mashego said that the NWU is excited and keen as it sees opportunity to contribute to rural development through its research capacity.
In appreciating the commitment for partnership, Premier Modise said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will soon be finalised and signed by the parties.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Cell: 083 629 1987
Tel: 018 388 3705
Fax: 018 388 3157
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
