By Obakeng Maje
Taung should be a model of multicultural city that depicts the success of rural development strategy, says North West MEC of Economic Development, Enviroment, Conservation and Tourism Motlalepula Rosho at lauch of new Taung Hotel School in Taung.

The event took place on Wednesday at Taung Tusk and the department said the Hotel School will train and provide learners with a necessary skills to grow the economy of Taung and North West at large.

The hotel school now falls under the Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management (IHTM) which is a collective name of institutions that provide hospitality, tourism and conservation management and skills training in the North West province under the auspices of the North West Parks and Tourism Board.

MEC Rosho said the development in Taung will benefit the youth of Taung and Dr Segomotsi Ruth Mompati.

She said the hotel school will develop the economy of Taung and this will set Taung in the forefront.

“The hotel school will teach the students how to cook Indian and Chinese foods too. That will give us advantage to let more tourists to flock to Taung. We are in the process of expanding this network of collaboration and affiliation with international organizations and institutions such as Spainish Hunting Academy, Hospitality and the Creative Arts in China, the Tourism Institution in India” MEC Rosho said.

Rosho said China want to bring close to 400 students to Taung Hotel school, and that will augurs well for department.

MEC said they decided to develop Taung Tusk into a Hotel School after they lost Garankuwa Hotel school to Gaunteng province because of demacation.

Garankuwa hotel school was paid off by Gauteng province and she said more than R24 million has been set aside to develop Hotel schools in the province.

“The school will provide cookery, Customer Care management, Heritage Resources and Hunting skills. Other skills will be provided and also we will be working hand-in-hand with Vuselela FET college for skill development” she said.

The Taung Hotel school and Mafikeng Hotel school will exchange guidance and more students will go abroad to gain more international experience.

Kgosi Tshepo Mankuroane shared the same sentiment and said he would like to see more local youth given first priority in skill development.

“We are very grateful by seeing Taung Hotel school being finally launched. This really shows that Taung is developing and more people will be developed. We would monitor the project and we expecting more projects to come to Taung” Mankuroane said.

He said Taung Dam is one of the tourist destinations in the province, will also be developed.

“We are in talk with the department to develop Taung Dam in the future. More people are dying in Taung Dam because it is not properly developed. We want to fence it and must have guidance and safety tips need to be applied” he said.

Rosho also highlighted that they are in talks with Wits University to bring back Taung skull.

“More than R300 million has been set aside for Taung skull museum. We want Taung skull back to its place of origin. Taung will develop into a city and must attract tourists. We are in talk with Northern Cape government as there are three tourist destinations that we want to develop and some of areas fall under them, so we must work hand-in-hand. The Taung skull was the first human fossil found in Africa.

One of the Mafikeng Hotel school students, Anele Msingale said the hotel school is very helpful and helps to develop the economy.

“I am very passionate about tourism and I would like to go abroad one day. I am doing Hospitality, food Beverage Management and we learn about how customer care service works” Msingale smiles.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_