LYDENBURG – “Local Economic Development (LED) is a department that aims to create job opportunities and help utilise this opportunity wisely.” These are the words articulated by Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM) executive mayor, Cllr Letta Shongwe during the Local Economic Development (LED) outreach seminar at Thaba Chweu Local Municipality last Wednesday.

Non-governmental and government organisations joined forces to find ways to eradicate the scarcity of job opportunities that is currently a major concern to the youth and the whole country.

This event provided community members and business people with the opportunity to acquire information on how to start their own business and help generate money for themselves The entire event was aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, job creation, take the government to the people and to create awareness and share information with the community.

The manager of LED, tourism and rural development, Ms Nontobeko Mahlalela said they worked with the private sector to benefit the community. “We must always share information with our communities to ensure that they support development. “Our objective is also to provide services in a manner that is sustainable,” she said.

Kaugelo Sibuyi of NEF, which is an organisation that specialises in loans for and funding of enterprises, said they provided funding solutions for owned business but there must be 51% black ownership to qualify. Thaleda is also one of the organisations that focuses mainly on creating job opportunities as they assist with funding to develop business plans.

The event was also graced by the presence of the beautiful Miss Mpumalanga, Zamanene Nene who represented the Mpumalanga Gambling Board. She urged the public to practise legal gambling and to stick to the money they set out to spend for a particular game. “Do not use social grant money and please do not gamble your lives away. “Speak life into your lives,” she advised attendees. Her speech inspired attendees and Shongwe commmented that they were proud to hear such wise words from a youngster.

Shongwe said, “Since there are no job opportunities, let us find ways to make money by creating our own businesses. She also urged the community to work together rather than compete in the same business. “Let’s form cooperatives,” she said.

She added that business was about thinking out of the box and developing trust with your partners so all could succeed in their businesses. Throughout the event, relations between the businesses and the community were encouraged.