Author: Staff Writer
Amathole District Municipality Development Agency, Aspire, has commitment to support and monitor developmental projects across the municipality.
Acting CEO Chwayita Stofile made the commitment recently, during a meeting with executive mayor of Mbhashe Concillor Samkelo Janda.
Janda had invited Stofile to discuss how the agency could lend a helping hand in some of the developmental projects under the municipality.
He said, because of the financial challenges, the municipality was unable to assist anymore.
During the meeting, Stofile was told of challenges several development projects across Mbhashe municipality were facing.
In a fact-finding mission, Stofile sent a delegation from her officer to visit four identified projects in Mbhashe.
‘‘We wanted to hear from them what support they need, instead of deciding for them. It was a wise decision, I must say.
The visit helped us understand what exactly what they need to, and they told us in detail the time of equipment they need,’’ she said.
The projects included Bulungula Lemon Grass, and Essentials Oils, Moringa, Chachazela and Mangwevini Sorghum, Macademia, wool processing plant.
Stofile said the agency was in the process of procuring the equipment which they will deliver before the end of June.
‘‘We want to ensure that whatever project that is undertaken in the district is supported and is sustainable in the long run,’’ she said.
She said their involvement in the Mbashe projects was to make sure that all the projects were properly profiled and well marketed.
‘‘We hope that our intervention would help expand the production and stimulated economic development in the area and reduce unemployment,’’ she said.
Stofile said, their ultimate goal was to see sustainability and expansion of projects, something that might help alleviate poverty.
‘‘The desired outcome is to get all these projects exposed to the market and that would help attract investors. The more investors we get, he more jobs these projects will create and the intention is to roll-out these kind of initiatives throughout the municipality,’’ she said.
The more jobs we create, the more we will be able to overcome social challenges like crime and drug abuse.
A local farmer No-Oli Sigidi said they were looking forward to the help Aspire promised them.
‘We had an opportunity to meet with Aspire CEO and she listened to us. What we need is a wool processing plant.
We have a lot of wool here that we normally to Gqeberha and exported to China. We no longer want to send our wool anywhere. We want to process it here,’’ said Sigidi.
Stofile said they were in a process of doing market research study and a service provider has already been appointed, to check what can be done with the wool instead of it being transported to China.
