… We want a Mangaung that can grow and can produce opportunities for us all, Sonzane

The Maluti-A-Phofung Economic Development Zone has received letters of commitment from at least 13 companies from around the world which want to do business there.

The proposed projects are valued at an estimated R10 billion.

This was revealed on Tuesday afternoon by the head of the Free State Development Corporation (FDC) Oozy Osman in Bloemfontein.

The meeting was attended by business representatives in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.

He said this figure might go up as five more letters of commitment are still outstanding to reach the anticipated 17.

“The total figure of investment from these corporations stand at almost R10 billion, and we only have 13 letters of commitment when we have to get 17,” said Osman.

He said in Mangaung a single plan mapped out together with the private sector is needed to unpack what needs to happen for investors to come to the city as well as outline incentives that the metro can use to lure business to its shores.

Osman said the province and the metro are so committed to creating an enabling environment for business to thrive in the metro that work is now underway to have a pipeline taking water from the Xariep Dam in southern Free State to Bloemfontein to ease challenges of lack of water which might hamper business operations.

He said the main economic driver in the metro, which is the eighth biggest city in the country, is still in services and hospitality industries which have proven insufficient in reducing the high levels of unemployment.

Siyonzana, who is also the speaker Mangaung municipality, said the meeting with business had been necessitated by the need to find lasting solutions to the pressing challenges of widespread inequality and poverty in society.

He said these factors have been worsened by the current global economic meltdown resulting from slow growth in China.

He said the metro was now faced with another challenge of finding suitable employment for residents of the metro who lost their jobs in other provinces and are now coming back home as a result of the sluggish economy.

“We are here, we live here and our children are going to grow up here, hence we all want a Mangaung that can grow and be able to produce opportunities for us all,” said Sonzane.

The meeting was held at the Mangaung Metro’s offices was attended by representatives from the South African Chamber of Commerce (SACC), The Free State Development Corporation (FDC) and the Mangaung Chamber of Business and Industry.

The National Federated Chamber of Commerce (Nafcoc), Foundation for African Business and Consumer Services, as well as Glad Africa, a consultancy firm of engineers, were also represented.

Siyonzana pleaded for private sector participation in turning the fortunes of the metro around and help create jobs.

He said in the last council meeting a report on non -payment of services, which can be attributed to lack of employment opportunities in the metro, was tabled.

Siyonzana said it was a pity that the private sector had not been coming to the party despite the provincial government having worked to create an enabling environment for business to flourish in the province through the building of a reliable road network and ensuring the steady supply of water and electricity.

Mopedi Moshoeshoe, a commercial farmer, said there is a need to cut the middle man in the farming industry for livestock owners to be able to reap the highest benefits.

“I have a plan that can boost employment figures… we want to be able to link with small butcheries in the metro and sell directly to them instead of going through the market. With this, a lot of expenses will be cut and profits maximised for the farmers, unlike now whereby prices are dictated to us,” he said.

Tshepo Matshaba, secretary of Nafcoc in the province and national treasurer of the organisation, said lack of political will have in the past resulted to situations where resolutions made at business indabas were not implemented.

“Case in point is with the xenophobic attacks that happened in Botshabelo, twice we were called for meetings to resolve this impasse and twice we made resolutions which still have to be implemented,” said Matshaba.

He said small businesses were the cornerstone of any employment creation efforts. He argued that if a big business coming from outside does not reinvest in the metro but takes all the money out, it means there will be no development in the city.

The meeting eventually resolved on a regional summit to be held at a date still to be announced where power distribution company Centlec, Bloem Water and the department of environmental affairs are expected to come and state the incentives that are there for investors wishing to do business in the metro.

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is planning to draw water from Gariep Dam in a bid to alleviate water shortages in the city, executive mayor Thabo Manyoni said.
The water will be drawn by a 180km long pipeline with a diameter of 1.4 meters and capacity to move 200 mega-litres a day. The project which is expected to be completed in about three years’ time is set cost a total of R4.3 billion.

The multi-billion rand project which is expected to delivering water to the metro in November 2019, is expected to get underway next year.

The project management plan is expected to be approved by February next year with the designs set to be finalised by April.

Speaking at the mayoral business breakfast held at the City Hall in Bloemfontein on Friday last week, Manyoni said the water project was one of the key ventures that the city needed to implement urgently because all the other projects planned by the city hinged on the reliable availability of water.

“We want to develop a city that we can be proud of as one of the best cities in Africa,” said the mayor.

“We have taken a decision that we need to have a city that is resilient, sustainable, a smart city and a city that can mitigate matters pertaining to climate change and lack of resources such as water,” he told the gathering.

Gariep Dam, which is the largest water reservoir in South Africa, is situated near the town of Norvalspont, bordering the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces.

The dam has a total storage capacity of over 5.3 million mega-litres and a surface area of more than 370 square kilometres. Its primary purpose is for irrigation, domestic and industrial water use as well as power generation. The hydro-electrical power station houses four generators with a capacity of 90 MW, giving a maximum output of 360 MW of electricity.

Presently, Mangaung gets most of its water from Welbedacht Dam which is on the Caledon River. The Welbedacht Water Treatment Works provides about 145 mega-litres of water a day.
The city also gets water from Knelpoort, Rustfontein and Mockes dams. The treatment works at Rustfontein Dam provide the city with 100 mega-litres a day while the Maselspoort treatment plant delivers 110 mega-litres a day.

The business breakfast was meant to showcase the major projects being implemented by the municipality and invite potential investors to seek opportunities in the city.

In his presentation, the mayor gave an update on the progress made in developing the seven land parcels that have been earmarked for residential and commercial development, the issuing of bonds and the Public Private Partnerships.

Addressing a press briefing soon after the mayor’s presentation, city Manager Sibongile Mazibuko said plans to merge Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and Naledi Local Municipality in Xhariep District will not affect the decision by the city to go onto the bond market to raise R5 billion on the bond market to finance capital infrastructure projects.

“It is a long term project which we need to start planning for now,” said Mazibuko. “We have to start including it in the plans of the municipality. As local government we must take the lead and provide the relevant infrastructure so that investors can follow and invest,” she added.

Chief financial officer Ernest Mohlahlo said credit rating agency Moody’s which gave the municipality an investment grade of A3.za for long-term rating and P-2.za for short-term rating was satisfied that any adjustments to the city were not likely to have a major impact on its bid to raise funds on the bond market.

“They concluded that there would be implications but they would not have much impact due to the size of the metro,” said Mohlahlo.

Merging Mangaung Metro — which has a population of about 850 000 people living mainly in Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Mangaung and Thaba Nchu — with the over 24 000-people in Naledi will create a bigger metro able to attract more funding from national government, while creating more business and investment opportunities for residents.

Naledi, whose economy is largely driven by farming, is made up of the three towns of Dewetsdorp, Wepenaar and Van Standensrus and some large townships such as Qibing and Morojaneng as well as several few informal settlements.

The municipality is already firmly within the metro’s sphere of influence with the bigger city serving as a key source of jobs and economic opportunities as well as supplies of goods and services such as expert medical care for Naledi.

The media should refocus its efforts from simply passing on information to its audiences about events and other developments to ensuring that it involves the people in coming up with the material so that they understand the issues and effectively contribute towards coming up with solutions, Mangaung Metropolitan executive mayor Thabo Manyoni said.

Manyoni said the media should be taking the leading role in empowering the people but it was falling short of fulfilling their basic function of keeping people adequately informed.

Addressing the first Free State Community Radio HUB elective conference held in Bloemfontein last weekend, the mayor said as set out in the country’s constitution, it was important for particularly the community media to shift its attention towards getting the communities in which they operate, to promote diversity and build an inclusive society where no one feels alienated or segregated against.

“From the look of things, I can safely say enough has not been done by community media to educate our people,” said Manyoni.
He said the social ills experienced by society today such as the high usage of illicit drugs, alcohol and violent crimes against women and children were an indication that community was not well empowered to protect itself such vice.

“It is important to address these crucial matters in building better communities,” he added.

Manyoni said such behavioural patterns were an indication that enough was not being done to empower people to make informed decisions that are not only unfavourable to themselves.
Turning to the recent xenophobic attracts, the mayor said the unfortunate events clearly demonstrated a lack of knowledge among ordinary South Africans about the country’s neighbours and the support they gave to the country during the days of the struggle.

“We helped paint our country in negative light,” said Manyoni, adding that it was the role of the media to educate people especially at grassroots level due to the immediate contact it has with the community.

He condemned the deaths of the foreign nationals who died during the attacks saying it should not be allowed to happen again.

The mayor also said the proliferation of the Izikhothane or Skothane culture was another indication that communities still had a lot to learn.
The Izikhothane practice refers to South African showmanship or dance battles in which individuals or groups of individuals compete against each other in front of large crowds to determine which party is wealthier.

The ‘battles’ are performed using material items such as money, mobile phones, clothes or alcohol. In most instances a battle is won by the intentional destruction or wastage of one’s own expensive items in order to demonstrate the lack of concern for such material possessions due to the ability to afford more of the same.

A competitor’s chances of victory are improved by having items that are more expensive than those of their opponent.
“It is your responsibility through positive dialogues to transform the minds of our people and ensure that they become responsible citizens. But it’s only through education that this objective can be achieved. The time to take your rightful place in our own communities is today,” said the mayor.

Manyoni however said that he was not passing on government responsibility to the community media but was simply suggesting ways of promoting dialogue among the people so that they can work together in developing their communities.

“We need to lead by example as leaders. Though we have done well, it is still not enough and more should be done to ensure that our people are knowledgeable and ready to take the country forward, without discriminating against any race,” he concluded.

More than 600 athletes from across the country and beyond borders are expected to descend on Bloemfontein for the South African Junior and Senior National Table Tennis Championships that the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is hosting at the Tempe Military Base from July 6 to 12.

The annual tournament will also see 15 teams taking part.

Acting Mangaung mayor Papiki Moeng, who is also head of planning in the metro, said during a press briefing on Thursday the hosting of the tournament in the Free State capital would help establish the city as the country’s sporting mecca.

“It has the potential of growing our economy,” he told reporters.

“The teams coming here will have the latitude of visiting Naval Hill, our attraction site which is home to the Mandela statue, home to the first digital planetarium and the world-class restaurant situated at the top of the hill.”

Moeng added that those coming for the table tennis gala might also want to visit the historical Waaihoek Church in Mangaung where the ruling African National Congress party was founded in 1912.

Table Tennis South Africa national president Joe Carrim said the tournament was brought to the Free State province based on a conscious decision to rotate the championships rather than hosting all major events in the big cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The tournament in Bloemfontein would also have an international flavour, with participants from neighbouring countries expected to compete.

“We are even going to have teams from Botswana and Namibia coming to participate in the tournament,” Carrim said.

The Free State provincial government’s director of sports, Zola Thamaye, said her office was working hard to ensure all sporting disciplines, including table tennis, thrived in the province.

“We are particularly proud to be associated with table tennis,” she said.

“As the department, we will work to make sure that the sport is played in all the 82 towns in the Free State province.”

Thamaye added that the provincial government was through its Free State Sports Science Institute providing state-of-the-art facilities for sportspeople to excel.

The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) held its R5,924-billion operating budget vote for 2014/2015 financial year during a special council sitting held at the Kaizer Sebothela Stadium in Botshabelo, Free State Province on Thursday morning.

In his foreword address to the gathering, Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality executive mayor, Thabo Manyoni, said the budget vote comes in the middle of his term of office and that it will afford his administration an opportunity to get every citizen in the metro to partner the MMM in building a Mangaung “that is globally safe and attractive to live, work and invest in.”

Manyoni said coming into office in 2011, just few months after the then minister of co-operartive governance Sicelo Shiceka had introduced the Local Government Turnaround Strategy (LGTAS) – meant there was an admission throughout South Africa that the local government as a whole was in distress.

“Such indicators included among others political and administrative instability,” said Manyoni, adding that these challenges characterized newly established metropole of MMM, which was elevated from being a local municipality to a metropolitan council in about the same time.

Manyoni said his office has moved swiftly in addressing these challenges in only the two and half years he has been in office.

“The core content of this mid-term report, therefore, is the formidable progress we have made in pursuit of these priorities. Significantly, with regard to both political and administrative stability that ranked as a priority, we have moved significantly thus far and this has given us impetus for accelerated performance on all fronts of local governance,” said Manyoni.

He said the time was now to push the frontiers of poverty backwards and to accelerate service delivery to the poor.

Manyoni said for the 2014/2015 financial years the MMM is going to spend R454-million on social packages for the needy, up from the 2012/2013 allocation of R227-million.

He said from 2011 about 38 000 households in the MMM were getting a “basket” of free services of water and electricity.

On top of this the MMM was working at eradicating the approximately 45 000 VIP latrines systems, with most in Botshabelo, to the tune of R2.5-billion in the coming six years.

He said R30-million will be used to implement its integrated public transport system, which includes the introduction of a bus in transit system similar to ReaVaya in Gauteng, which will be known as “Hauweng” in the Free State province.

“A further R127-million will be used to build a new bulk water supply for Sterkwater – R130-million will go towards the upgrade of the Bloemspruit Waste Water  Project,” said Manyoni.

A further breakdown of the budget include the allocation of R10-million for the rehabilitation of road B3 in Botshabelo, while R29-million will go  towards the upgrade of the routes in Maphisa section in Mangaung.

Manyoni said R23.2-million will go towards the upgrade of the road 350, which leads from section D in Botshabelo towards the local cemetery.

On refuse removal, Manyoni said R20.2-million will be spent on creating a new transfer station in Thaba Nchu, and R33.4-million will go towards electrification of 3306 households.

“The city will also invest R4.4-million to instal highmast lighting in Rocklands, Bloemside, Phelindaba, Namibia, Freedom Square, MK Square, Turflaagte and Khotsong.

R80-million will go towards the creation of swimming pool at ThabaNchu Mmabana stadium, upgrading Selosesha, Botshabelo and Billy Murison stadiums.

“There will also be a rehabilitation of Freedom Square Sports Centre, the building of a multi-purpose centre in Grassland 2, and the construction of Johnson Bandile Stadium,” said the  executive mayor.

The budget vote was also attended by Free State education MEC Tate Makgoe, as well Finance MEC Elsabe Rockman. There were also officials from the business fraternity and non-governmental organisations.

The Botshabelo and ThabaNchu townships will benefit from the R2.5-billion Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) water and sanitation project to eradicate 56 000 buckets and pit latrine in these areas.

This announced was made at the Infrastructure Development Programme (IDP) budget conference held in Botshabelo on Wednesday. During this session the municipality informed the community about the infrastructure development programmes that are underway, as well as those that are planned for the next three financial years.

Botshabelo is situated 55 kilometres east of Bloemfontein, and ThabaNchu a further 12 kilometres. These are two of the most impoverished communities within Mangaung. The unemployment rate in the Mangaung is at 27.7 percent, while 37.2 percent of the youth is unemployed. Over 25 000 workers commute from these two townships to Bloemfontein daily.

The MMM city manager, Sibongile Mazibuko said this project will bring health and environmental benefits for the people of Botshabelo and ThabaNchu. She added that although this is not going to be achieved overnight, it will eventually change the face of the two townships.

“This is about dignity; the VIP toilets are not dignified. Another benefit that this project will bring is that of the environment. Some of these VIP toilets are old and sometimes during rainy season the level of water in the pit rises and creates environmental problems,” said Mazibuko.

Mazibuko described the project as a sanitation and water programme, as the water-borne system can never be achieved without enough water supplies. This means there will be a need for more reservoirs and water treatment plants. The MMM has started with the project in Sections J, K, F and W of Botshabelo. Pipelines have been laid in some sites and toilets have been completed.

While these projects are underway, water cut offs are frequent and the MMM pleaded with the community within the municipality to bear with them. Three contractors were appointed in December 2012 to install water-borne toilets in ThabaNchu and Botshabelo.

The Ratau and Moroka locations in ThabaNchu are among the priority areas where 130 flushing toilets will be installed. In Bultfontein, 230 sites will be upgraded, so will 295 sites in Section F of Botshabelo.

“We thank the people of Mangaung who have been cooperative during these challenging times. There are times when we have to institute water cut-offs and this proved to be an inconvenience to the community. We know it is not easy for residents but this is one of our challenges, because we are working on residential areas,” explained Mazibuko.