Deputy President Paul Mashatile says more employment opportunities should be created from the raw materials produced in the North West province.
Mashatile was in Tlhabane in Rustenburg at the launch of Phase 3 of the Accelerated Service Delivery – Thuntsha Lerole Programme.
The programme is an initiative by the North West provincial government aimed at confronting the critical issue of service delivery in communities, through strengthened partnerships with government, private sector as well as civil society organisations.
This is the Deputy President’s second visit to the area. In September last year, he visited the troubled Yizo Yizo informal settlement, where residents were pleading for services. Their demands included housing.
Acting North West Premier, Nana Maloi says processes to relocate the community situated at a tribal land have commenced.
“What we are now going to do is to build a mixed development in Yizo Yizo, which is going to be BNGS including the rentals, so contractors are on site,” explains Maloi.
Mashatile visited several sites in Thalbane, including a newly-built school and the Tlhabane Community Health Centre, unveiling a state-of-the-art X-ray machine.
He also engaged with the community, who raised concerns about the lack of job opportunities, despite living in a town with more than 39 mining houses, and exporting minerals such as platinum and chrome.
Mashatile says they have engaged with the private sector.
“One of the things that we raised this morning in our discussion, [is] the issue of local beneficiation. Because when you do that, you can create more employment. It is something that you can look at,” adds Mashatile.
Mashatile says communities must benefit from the industries in their areas.
“In this area, particularly they mine chrome. So, we need to look at what products come from chrome rather than exporting all raw materials. We should try and open factories locally in these areas and try to produce these products here,” explains the Deputy President.
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