TOWNSHIPS – for long a prominent feature of both the past and modern era of South Africa – are beginning to demonstrate massive potential in terms of creating employment through stimulating local economies by bringing together small businesses and franchises under “one roof”.

The Foro Shopping Complex – located in the heart of Tlhabane, just outside Rustenburg – has been undergoing a positive transformation that has cemented its status as the commercial hub of the old township.

A few years ago, the area where the complex stands only had a single retail shop and a few other small businesses involved in selling cellphone accessories, providing salon services or selling clothes.

Today, however, the picture is different as many more businesses have since set up their operations to cater for the needs of community members who previously had to travel to the Rustenburg central business district and other areas in order to access services that were not offered in Tlhabane.

A dental clinic and pharmacy, as well as other enterprises that are involved in the fast food and catering industry, the repair of televisions and other electrical appliances, Information Technology (IT) as well as a video club are now part of the complex.

Additionally, a prominent franchise involved in selling building material has also opened a shop within the complex.

The increase of commercial activity around the area has not only created more jobs for people living in Tlhabane, it has also seen the major commercial banks installing several ATMs which bring with them a welcome convenience to those who frequently visit the complex.

“The good thing about having more shops at the complex is that I can now buy many more things in one area,” said a 34-year-old resident of Tlhabane, who did not want to be named.

“This helps a lot because in the past I had to move around many places in town to buy what I wanted. Now I just go to the complex and this saves me a lot of money,” the man added.

In the middle of all this transformation is Godfrey Kinni Rangaka – an entrepreneur who owns the land upon which the complex stands.

Rangaka’s exploits has won him the Freedom of the City Award, which was recently bestowed on him by the Rustenburg municipality.

“What he (Rangaka) has done at the complex is a good example to all of us. He is an inspiration to us all,” Rustenburg’s executive mayor, Mpho Khunou, said during an event held to hand over the award to him and other outstanding residents of Rustenburg.

-TDN

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PREMIER Supra Mahumapelo said that South Africa has to come up with a law requiring those who start informal settlements to apply to government.

Failure to have such a law makes government unable to deal with developments in such areas.

This he said would mean that such communities are forever battling for sanitation and water.

“Wherever shacks are put up the people there will first thing demand water, then electricity and then a school for children, roads and shops. Yet in the government plans there won’t be a plan to put water pipes in whatever area occupied illegally,” said Mahumapelo.

He said if people apply then the government can plan properly.

“We are not saying do not put up a shack for settlement but apply so that you are not all over. We have to do environmental impact assessment for instance some areas can be dolomitic or can be easily flooded. An example is Ntswanahatshe village in Taung. The people there will forever suffer from November to February during rainy season. They settled without assessment done in the area,” Mahumapelo.

The premier said there is need for controlled and well planned settlements and suggested that the provincial department of housing should look at ways to craft a policy on this aspect in the next 18 months.

“This is to make sure we can look at the situation and be able to say this is where the people can locate, so that we do not have what is happening in Mahikeng, for instance. We are building RDP houses in Rooigrond suddenly the number of shacks is increasing,” he said.

He said that government plans are done in three to five year cycles and anything that happens in between comes a challenge.

“We are dealing with the inherent corruption in the allocation of RDP houses. MEC for local government and human settlements is currently working with municipalities to ensure that they clean the beneficiary lists because it is the fact that lists are corrupted in some of our municipalities,” he said.

The premier suggested that priority should be given to vulnerable groups in the allocation of RDP houses.

“Senior citizens, people living with disabilities and child headed families must be prioritised before the rest of the people. It was painful two weeks ago when we were giving a house to an 89-year-old woman in Khunwana village, she has never stayed in a proper house. She was saying she can now die peacefully now that she has a proper house,” Mahumapelo said.

-TDN

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THE North West government said its decision to spend 70% of government money in villages, townships and small dorpies still stands.

Premier Supra Mahumapelo said this was done in effort to reduce capital flight to other provinces.

“We have also taken a decision of where a big contract for instance where we do not have capacity at the province, we must form partnerships. In the province we do not a huge number of grade nine in construction so we have to increase that number as possible. Now we can’t grow without giving them work and they must work with the established ones so that we can gradually stop capital fight,” said Mahumapelo.

He said doing that does not mean the province should be isolated.

“We must also have business people from the province doing business in other provinces so that we show our capacity in issues that are economic and enterprise related,” Mahumapelo said.

The premier added that the economy can only grow when that was done and not only in provinces but in SADC countries as well.

“We must also share our skills through Brics countries. The agricultural skills that we have can be transferred to Brazil and China and help with the knowledge that we have. That is why we are working on the process to deal with the Chinese on the skin and the meat of the donkeys,” he said.

He further said that government is waiting for the laboratory tests from China on the issue of donkey meat before doing business with the country.

“As soon the tests are done and were ok to do business, we will start with the production of the donkey meat to take to China,” Mahumapelo said.

He also called on business people who do business in North West, to relocate to the province or own some properties to be able to pay rates and taxes.

“This is part of boosting our economy in the province,” he said.

-TDN

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RESIDENTS of Mathibistad in Moretele local municipality are against the construction of municipal offices worth R59m when they are struggling to get basic services.

They staged a protest on Tuesday demanding that the municipality puts resident’s needs first.

Community leaders said that the municipality was prioritising non-essential issues when all they need is to have water, roads and other services.

Johannes Raseala said service delivery is more important than new municipal offices.

“The reason we embark on a march is that we have challenges at Moretele local municipality. The municipality decided to build new offices while we living in abject poverty. We believe that budget could have been allocated for service delivery.

“There is no water, sanitation and the roads are in bad condition. There are no high mast lights too and crime is rife in the area. We submitted a memorandum of grievances to municipality to urge them to halt the project,” Raseala said

Municipality spokesperson, Abel Malebye said they will address issues of service delivery raised by Mathibistad residents.

Malebye added that there was consultation session conducted before the decision was taken to build new municipal offices.

He also highlighted that the project was advertised on various local newspapers and they received no objections.

“We are not building any hall at the municipality as it was reported. But we are building municipal offices. Since the inception of municipality back in 2000, we have been using Baga-Mathibi Tribal Authority offices. We are now building municipal offices to capacitate our employees who are working here at Mathibestad,” he said.

-TDN

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BY REGINALD KANYANE

NORTH West health MEC, Dr Magome Masike dismissed as misleading a media report that painted Tlakgameng Community Health Centre in Morokweng as a shambles.

Masike visited the facility after the Sowetan newspaper reported that patients were reportedly turned away because the clinic faces a severe shortage of nurses.

In its report, the newspaper alleged that the centre has no hot water or sterilizers. It also mentioned that most of the light bulbs were burnt out and the centre has just one oxygen cylinder.

“Based on this provision, the allegation that there is no water in Tlakgameng CHC is just a fabricated story intending to dent the reputation of the institution. As for the shortage of nurses, the newspaper alleged that the centre operated with five nurses, but that is not true. Tlakgameng Health Centre is managed by the operational manager who is capable and always at the forefront in focusing on the provision of quality health care services at the institution,” Masike said.

He added: “The institution has nine general workers which consist of seven female and two males. We also have three admin clerks, two data capturers, four auxiliary nurses, one environmental health practitioner, one enrolled nursing assistant, one professional nurse relieve at the clinic when a need arise at PHC Re-engineering. On school health, we have one professional nurse, relieve at the clinic when a need arise too.”

The MEC said 11 professional nurses attend to patients on a daily basis and that the health centre has one pharmacy assistant.

“The above mentioned team is aware that there is shortage of professional nurses which is a colossal challenge. However they always make sure that it does not hinder the provision of quality health care services. They meticulously ensure that services are rendered 24 hours in the institution.

“The operational manager always elevates all challenges that are above his scope of practice, therefore he could have informed the management if ever there had been load-shedding at the centre,” he said.

The department is also in the process of buying a standby generator to supply power if load-shedding occurs.

Masike said that the institution has never encountered any challenges with regard to water as alleged.

“Hot water is also available at Tlakgameng CHC. The institution has two geysers. One of the geysers was temporarily not working, but it was already reported. The process for procurement of a new geyser was at an advanced stage,” he said.

The MEC added that if the journalist had doubled-checked with the department she would have known that a new geyser was on the way.

“The new geyser has been delivered at the centre as we speak. The medical equipment was also enough and in good working condition. The facility had all the essential items needed even for deliveries at the maternity unit. Few globes at the outpatient department were not working.

“However our investigation revealed that not long ago they were replaced. Eskom has been requested to visit the facility to inspect wiring and correct any abnormalities if any,” he said.

-TDN

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