Stakeholders step in to help TCM

LYDENBURG – The Lydenburg/Mashishing Business Chamber (LMBC) together with the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut (AHI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Thaba Chweu Municipality (TCM) on Monday.

This initiative involves “adopting” a municipality. Skills and knowledge will be provided to the governing body by either businesses or individuals.

Dr Ernest Mussina of the AHI said that this was extremely important for the organisation.

“The AHI has a national footprint and it is quite an impressive one. People live in close proximity to each other.

“We can’t avoid each other and we don’t want to. We need each other because ultimately it is not about ourselves, but about the feature we are building for our children. If we collectively understand the importance of our responsibility and moral obligation we have, we can’t waste time by not working together,” he said.

“This is a joyous occasion. Shared joy is double joy. I want to congratulate all of you who took up this challenge to come to this agreement.

“We are 100 per cent behind this initiative,” Mussina stated

The acting municipal manager,

Mr Lesley Mokwena, who signed the agreement with chamber members said he appreciated the opportunity awarded to TCM.

“I think we can all look forward to a good relationship.

“We all are equally excited. I think all of us can agree that the biggest challenge is economic opportunities.

“The challenge is to get people out of economic desperation. The biggest key point will be unemployment,” he said.

He said TCM was honoured to be the second municipality to sign this MoU after Maletswai Municipality in the Eastern Cape.

“We hope we will have more meetings. I think it came at the right time. The Eskom issue is a problem that will not only affect households, but businesses as well.

“If you look at the time Eskom has chosen to switch off the electricity, it was intended so that we can really feel the effect of the power cut.

“We hope that all stake holders will also submit their letters to Eskom.”

Three copies of the MoU were signed.