Simon Nare
North West MEC for Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism Bitsa Lenkopane is on a mission to make sure that any entrepreneur with a desire to run a spaza shop has access to one.
Lenkopane said she wants to ensure that anyone who wants to have a spaza shop in their yard does not have an excuse to complain that foreign nationals were thriving in this sector in townships ahead of the locals.
The MEC has stressed that the move should not be seen as an attempt by her government to flush out foreign nationals out of business but rather it is designed to empower the locals.
Lenkopane said things have to change in townships in terms of business and for that to happen, the municipalities would have to identify the need and respond positively.
The MEC was speaking ahead of her budget speech expected to be tabled on Friday. The MEC said the 7th administration is going to pay attention to the needs of the community.
“We are going to do change in the municipalities for they are the ones who know better. We will be guided by Salga on how to empower our municipalities and how to collaborate with them so that we go straight to our communities to respond to a need,” said the MEC in an address to a community gathering.
“Since assigned the responsibility to explore ways and means to resolve energy challenges in the province, the North West Development Corporation will be concluding a study on the usage of different energy mix across all municipalities with specific attention on government buildings, households in townships and rural villages.
“We need massive road maintenance and resuscitation of all rail networks connecting key productive towns of the province to ensure that products from our province not only reach markets but do that on time,” said the MEC.
Lenkopane pointed out that small business remained a beacon of hope in economic development and the department will be embarking on a drive to support this sector particularly in the townships and rural arrears.
On tourism, Lenkopane said the department in partnership with the national department has been paying attention to some of the projects in the province that will draw visitors.
These included the completion of Manyane Game Reserve infrastructure developments. In that regard the construction was underway and could be completed in October this year.
Also the planning and implementation of Mahikeng Hotel School infrastructure, renovations of the Mahikeng Museum to incorporate the Sol Plaatjie Museums was underway.
Inside Politics
