Agribusiness is one of the focus areas of the North West Development Corporation’s plans for the provinces. Photos courtesy NWDC
The North West Development Corporation (NWDC) faces the task of implementing many of the projects announced by the Premier Supra Mahumapelo in his State of the Province Address delivered in Taung last week Friday. Yet Acting chief executive Mike Mthimunye is unfazed by this daunting prospect.
Mthimunye describes the NWDC’s mandate as being to “drive an inclusive strategy towards economic growth in the province in line with the provincial priorities by leading the implementation of key programmes”. This was affirmed by the number of tasks assigned to the Corporation during the State of the Province Address.
Mahumapelo also announced that to strengthen its institutional capacity, the Corporation will be repositioned through a merger with other development agencies to form the People’s Economic Growth Agency (PEGA).
The premier announced that NWDC, working with the rural environment and agriculture department, will implement a number of strategic projects. These include the acceleration of villages townships and small dorpies (VTSD) agribusinesses to build small-scale agro hubs across the province; the establishment of Special Economic Zones (in addition to the existing one at The Platinum Valley); and the implementation of the Mahikeng Airport Logistics Hub.
Mahumapelo says new interest has been shown by investors from the United Arab Emirates, and the NWDC is mandated to conclude the negotiations process working together with relevant stakeholders. The corporation is also in charge of the implementation of the VTSD Industrial Hubs in strategic areas across the province and finalisation and implementation of the Provincial Industrialisation Action Plan.
The corporation also has the task of coordinating all local economic development efforts across all municipalities in order to build strategic partnerships with the private sector to ignite economic development, particularly in rural municipalities.
The NWDC has also been mandated to venture into the retail business by opening retail outlets in each district throughout the province. This will enable the NWDC to buy directly from large suppliers and manufacturers, thus obtaining rebates which will then be passed on directly to consumers.
The North West Executive Council has mandated the NWDC to proceed with the implementation of core elements of reviving the province’s capital through the Mahikeng Rebranding, Repositioning and Renewal Programme (MRRRP), the Government Precinct, a stadium and Mahikeng International Convention Centre. Discussions are at an advanced stage to secure a strategic partner to invest R10-billion into these projects.
In addition, the NWDC is driving the renationalisation of Rhino Studio (BRS), commonly known as Bop Recording Studios. Mahumapelo says the process of transferring ownership of the Broadcasting Studio to the government is underway. “The challenge has been the manner in which the studio fell into private hands and the ensuing protracted legal processes.”
The Bokone Bophirima government has also used the NWDC to acquire a stake in Chicken Bird Holdings (CBH) with an aim of saving approximately 2500 jobs.
The government of Bokone Bophirima also intends to establish its own security company to employ young people and redirect the R400-million a year it currently spends on private security services.
In line with its developmental mandate, the NWDC disbursed loans to a sum of R4.2-million to 16 small business enterprises in villages, townships and small dorpies targeting wholesale and retail, agriculture, hospitality, and construction sectors across four districts of the Bokone Bophirima province.
The corporation, together with environmental department, are to establish a provincial feedlot, feedbank and abattoir scheme, working together with both commercial and small-scale farmers. This forms part of the province’s Saamwerk-Saamtrek (working together, pulling together) initiatives.
The corporation has successfully implemented an alternative building materials project in Boja Nala district.
The Office of the Premier, the NWDC as well as ongoing engagements with Development Finance and Institutions like the National Youth Development Agency are putting up an enterprise support package through the rollout of youth-owned enterprises to create sustainable jobs.
Mahumapelo says that the provincial government acknowledges the role of research, development and innovation. The office of the premier, through the NWDC, collaborated with the North-West University and National Technology Innovation Agency within the National Department of Science and Technology to host the first Provincial Innovation Competition in the province. The Competition was not only the first in the province, but it in the country.
The Competition targeted ordinary citizens from VTSDs who created innovative solutions aimed at addressing some of the challenges in line with the Five Provincial Concretes of the Province: agriculture, culture and tourism (ACT), reconciliation, healing and renewal (RHR), villages, townships, and small dorpies (VTSDs), the Setsokotsane project and the Saamwerk-Saamtrek philosophy. It has produced three worthy winners who received monetary prizes, and who have also been partnered with institutions that will help to support their ideas.
The villages of Mofufutso, Gopane, Mocoseng and Mmanonyane will be recipients of the first phase of rolling out WiFi, and the implementation of phase 1 will start in mid-March.
While a request for proposals will be released in the next two weeks inviting prospective investors with necessary capacity to roll out VTSD WiFi hotspots across all the 657 villages in Bokone Bophirima.