Executive council aims to bring change in Mpumalanga

The Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, recently convened a sitting of the executive council (Exco), in Mbombela, to take decisive measures aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of the citizens.

This as the seventh administration intensifies measures for the realisation of its apex priorities to drive inclusive growth and job creation, reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living, and build a capable, ethical and developmental state.

Infrastructure development and service delivery improvement are among the focus areas of the seventh administration, in an effort to create much-needed jobs. These include the completion of major capital projects, such as the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market (MIFPM) and public facilities to improve access to basic services, including health and education.

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The MIFPM, which costs about R1.7b, was finally officially handed over on August 1. The MEC for public works, roads and transport, Thulasizwe Thomo, who is also the Exco’s spokesperson, officially handed the MIFPM over to his counterparts, the MEC for agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs, Nompumelelo Hlophe, and the MEC for economic development and tourism, Makhosazane Masilela.

It is the first large-scale market infrastructure to be built in Mpumalanga, and will create direct and indirect employment opportunities through the export of agricultural commodities to international markets.

The project was initially launched in November 2018 and was supposed to be completed by September 2020. However, several challenges arose, including community unrest, workers protesting and various other interruptions. The market is set to provide access to local, regional and international fresh produce. It consists of a market building with all its pertinent support facilities, an agroprocessing building and all the required access control facilities, roads, parking and related facilities.

During the sitting, various issues were discussed, including an outbound mission to China.

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Thomo said the construction of the MIFPM has been completed and the provincial government is putting measures in place for operationalisation. “It is the first large-scale market infrastructure to be built in Mpumalanga, and will create direct and indirect employment opportunities through the export of agricultural commodities to international markets,” said Thomo.

To achieve these objectives, Ndlovu will undertake an outbound mission to the People’s Republic of China to establish co-operation with major players in the food industry and logistics for the MIFPM. The premier’s entourage will include Hlophe and other senior officials.

Ndlovu’s outbound mission, which starts on Tuesday, January 14, and continues to January 20, will focus on Tianshui City and Longricunan City in the Gansu Province and Xiamen City in the Fujian Province, where bilateral agreements with reputable trade institutions such as the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation will be signed.