New MEC concedes to neither Rome – nor Lim – being built in a day

Recently appointed Economic Development, Environment and Tourism MEC Thabo Mokone’s to-do list appears to be monstrous. As it is topped by priorities that could be viewed as potentially insurmountable headaches to an average man, he would be faced with sustainable employment creation, a turn-around of parastatals, the launch of a planned one-stop investment centre and eventually getting the Musina/Makhado Special Economic Zone (SEZ) off the ground, all possibly in a day’s work.
But in addition, soft core issues like the possibility of seeing a butterfly colony in Sekhukhune included in the provincial tourism meander are of equal importance to the new MEC, who wears his passion for Limpopo and its offerings on his sleeve.

A week after his appointment he was still caught in an introductory phase of familiarising himself with programmes of the department, outstanding issues and meeting staff, yet created time to share his views on the way forward for one of Limpopo’s most crucial departments. Coincidentally the interview took place on the same day as the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement was being signed and mostly revolved around fostering of trade relations, foreign investment, employment creation and his passion for tourism. Simultaneously Mokone emphasised the ever-important balancing of a departmental budget against service delivery. And of his own accord conceded to neither Rome – nor Limpopo, for that matter – having been built in a single day.
In the presence of Head of Department Solly Kgopong, Mokone spoke of creating sustainable employment in a province endowed with mineral resources and tourism opportunities and for which money should be leveraged from national government, as being critical.
Quoting statistics reflecting an approximate 7 to 9 million persons passing through the province every year, Mokone reiterated the need for creativity in maximising on and making user-friendly reserves that lie fallow.
He further referred to the broadband project that is destined for roll-out in Limpopo as a game-changer that had to be taken to heights, while the province readied itself for the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution.
Turning to the fostering of trade relations, Kgopong said the department was protecting existing traditional markets which they didn’t want to see decline, adding that the exploring of new markets within the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) countries was of utmost importance for Limpopo. Their strategy, therefore, would be aimed at strengthening Brics exports but also intra-African trade to the rest of the continent, according to him.
With reference to the strengthening of capacity in the department to deliver amid the challenges of existing vacancies, also within parastatals such as on the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (Leda) board, he underscored the need to turn around Great North Transport (GNT). Mokone simultaneously announced imminent changes at Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) as well as its board to meet the mandate of promoting tourism to its full potential.
Already early on in the conversation the multi-billion Rand Musina/Makhado SEZ project came under discussion, with Kgopong stepping in to explain that development around such zones in most countries took about 30 years planning, while Limpopo government has spent about five years on the planning and was supposedly getting into implementation mode with bulk infrastructure towards the end of this year upon completion of the Environment Impact Assessments (EIAs) in August. He expressed the hope that the ground-breaking ceremony would occur in the beginning of next year.
Kgopong underscored the risks that were being addressed, explaining that it related to the shortage of skills and lack of water for which the department had mitigation plans. In addition the EIAs pertaining to the undertaking were initially envisaged to have been finalised last November and then in March this year, but further specialist studies have caused delays, according to Kgopong. He reminded that the project was being approached from a South African Development Community (SADC) point of view as it involved getting neighbouring countries on board. He insisted that the Musina/Makhado SEZ was top priority to the current leadership and that they had no other option than making it materialise.
As the conversation turned to tourism promotion, Mokone responded saying they had to ensure that visitors returned to Limpopo and indicated that its attractions had to be exposed to the full. He listed the examples of a butterfly colony at Mafefe, Lake Fundudzi and Wolkberg Mountains as lesser known jewels in the tourism crown. He reiterated the need for infrastructure having to be maintained while marathons, big sporting events and festivals had to be marketed and those brands sustained, 4×4-ing to be revived, viable open-air market processes adopted and new initiatives discovered. With equal passion he spoke of local art and the genre of jazz having to be explored as part of a bigger task ahead. Within that context Mokone gave the assurance that the issue of restructuring of LTA and its board would be receiving attention in due course.
In conclusion the new MEC indicated that he was excited about the journey ahead, adding that challenges had to be tackled head-on, that they had to realise there was no time to lose and had to be creative in the process.

Story & photos: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com