Ehlanzeni District Municipality’s MMC holds successful engagement in Barberton
Cllr Phineas Selowe interacted with the community members to discuss ways to improve their livelihoods and create job opportunities in the Barberton/Umjindi area.
The Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM) held a successful Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) stakeholders’ engagement event at the Barberton Tourism Centre on Wednesday April 3.
The community members came out to be part of this informative engagement and got the opportunity to share their experiences of how the opportunities given to them by the EDM have impacted their lives.
The general manager of economic planning and development, Sanele Madlopha, said the purpose of these meetings includes discussing with the public what the EDM has done to assist the community of Barberton, what it is currently doing and what it is planning to do in the future. “We are here to discuss how we have uplifted the community members of Barberton in terms of job opportunities, skills development and indicating the growth in general. We want to look into the opportunities given to the people here so that you all as the community can be able to grow and be independent. This way, you will be able create your own future,” she said.
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The EDM MMC’s economic planning and development councillor, Phineas Selowe, said: “The mayor, Cllr Jesta Sidell, made the decision that we must see how we can assist Barberton/Umjindi with development. As the government and the EDM, when we do our policies, we ensure they allow small and big businesses to flourish and we make sure that any local business idea can be implemented right here in Barberton.
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“We have a national problem, which is poverty and unemployment. As the EDM, we decide to figure out how we can solve these issues in the local communities. The first thing we did was that an agreement was made by the mayor and the University of Mpumalanga that the students who have studied agriculture and tourism must assist the district with the skills that they have acquired. They then transfer their skills.”
Selowe has urged the public to support the projects the EDM are introducing.
