Durban — The Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs head of department Nhlakanipho Nkontwana said the KwaZulu-Natal economy is expected to grow by around 4% in the next quarter.
Discussions were held at the Public Works Department in Durban on Monday.
“It is our task to ensure economic growth within our public service of an economy that must be pro poor.
“We also have to make sure that there is economic activity taking place within our townships.
“The state alone cannot do everything, unless all sectors of the economy fold their sleeves and work towards economic growth and upliftment. We have to always protect the business that we have created, and also ensure that it is sustainable.”
Addressing the gathering, Progressive Professionals Forum member Sphelele Qwabe said, “We have passed the stage of verbalising issues now, but we want action.
“The MEC should outline what needs to happen, together with the agricultural MEC should work in tandem to benefit the society.”
Progressive Youth in Business’s Lungani Mageba said: “There is an outcry that there is an absence of youth in most sectors that provide opportunities to the youth of this country, except most of them are found in the security industry.”
Mageba commended the youth fund, saying that it has changed him, and can also change others.
“Sadly, most of our youth who live in the townships and rural areas of this country lack skills, especially in the steel industry, in which I fully participate.
“We urge the government to target a number of young people, groom them, mentor them, and afford them the opportunities that are available.”
Another KZN businessman Musa Khwela had words of warning to the government officials, saying as a business they must not be afraid of reflecting.
“It is a known fact that the majority of black people still can’t access the economic aspects of their lives. People who are uneducated or of a certain class find it difficult to access economic funding.
“There are those who still play roles of being gatekeepers, workers who are unhelpful to those who need assistance economically. Those who instead of being helpful, are there to only reject people. People who instead of giving you hope, they dash your hopes. Always strive to be agile in your interpretation of policy,” Khwela said.
Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Siboniso Duma warned that since the dawn of democracy, all the people of South Africa have attained is political freedom only.
“We must not be apologists of the state, instead of economic freedom. We are encouraging our people to learn to save money. It is our mission as a government to advise our people to change their minds and participate in the economy of our country. People must stop looking down on facilities designed to benefit them, such as Ithala Bank,” Duma added.
“As the African peoples of SA, we must ask ourselves how much information have we been able to collate since the dawn of democracy. Have we produced enough engineers to help in the development and advancement of the state? We are involved in the struggle to change our country,” he ended.
Ithala Bank CEO Dr Thulani Vilakazi said their bank’s mandate is anchored in financial inclusion. He added that because many black people don’t have collateral and security when they apply for bank loans, Ithala Bank answers their problems, and is able to provide them with financial assistance.
“As the bank, we respond to the needs of our people. Even those who live under the Ingonyama Trust can also have their properties insured by Ithala Bank. We have even begun to teach school children about the importance of saving money and how to do banking properly. We also work with societies such as stokvels, providing finance to spaza shops in the townships,” Vilakazi stressed.
Daily News