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Municipalities have the potential to unlock economic prosperity

The NDP aims to create a South Africa that would address the socio-economic challenges facing the country by 2030

As the international community agrees in one voice in welcoming South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP), the time is opportune for municipalities to take the opportunity presented by this celebrated document.

The NDP, under the stewardship of the minister in the presidency responsible for planning, Trevor Manuel aims to create a South Africa that would address the socio-economic challenges facing the country by 2030. This is called Vision 2030.

I grew up in Moutse in the Sekhukhune District Municipality, where I saw how the agricultural sector contributed hugely to the economy of the two small towns in the area, Groblersdal and Marble Hall. These towns pride themselves for being the premier producers of citrus fruit and vegetables in the Sekhukhune region. Given this agricultural boom, one may ask the question: what is it that municipalities are doing to promote economic growth using agriculture as the source? They are hopefully doing something as this sector of the economy is one of the major contributors to the country’s GDP.

Recent reports state that South Africa is the premier exporter of citrus fruit to Asia. Given the population of Asia, South Africa has the sure market for citrus products and the two municipalities should take advantage of the opportunities brought by this development. For fruit to be exported, they first have to undergo a serious quality check process, which includes careful packaging that will stand the test of a long haul to the harbor and for shipment to the Asian market.

This then opens up the opportunity for the packaging industry to be opened closer to the place of production. Citrus farmers in the area are currently importing packaging material from big companies in Gauteng.

Where are the people from the locality to open small companies that will produce and supply farmers with the packaging material and contribute to the local economic development through job creation and skills development? This is the sure market especially in the area where citrus fruit are cultivated throughout the year. Surely this area produces lots of oranges and naartjies in winter and grapes in summer.

In this difficult economic climate, it is time that all spheres of government and the private sector come to the party and implement the policies and programmes of the national government so that the aims and objectives of the NDP become realistic, and how perfect would it be to have local municipalities playing a big role?

It is time to indeed start local and grow global for our municipalities to be counted as the pioneers of change for socio-economic development.

Groblersdal and Marble Hall are a drop in the ocean among many small towns that form the nucleus of local municipalities across the country. Each and every municipality has its own area of economic prosperity waiting to be unlocked to make a dream start and reach the NDP goals even before 2030. It is possible.

Callies Matlala is a public servant in Limpopo. He writes in his personal capacity.

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