THE Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Zuko Godlimpi says the Isithebe Industrial Park in Mandeni, KwaZulu-Natal should be used as a catalyst to spread industrial development in the province. Godlimpi was visiting the industrial park last week as part of the Presidential Imbizo Focus Week taking place in the province.
According to Godlimpi, the strategic location of the park could serve as a nodal point for economic infrastructure development, as well as a network and logistic hub between the Dube Trade Port and the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone.
“We also need to look at the district innovation hubs for public services where government services and engagements can be decentralised for Small and Medium Enterprises and entrepreneurs. This will assist in consolidating the broader need of businesses and their larger demands,” said Godlimpi.
He stressed the importance of stakeholder engagements around Mandeni that will maximise community participation and avoid future disruptions in the socio-economic landscape of the area.
“Isithebe contributed significantly to the economy of the area, providing 16,000 jobs with 250 factories operating within the park. These include textiles, clothing, furniture manufacturing, plastics, chemicals, paper products and packaging, and engineering workshops. If we put more resources in the park, it could be one of our successful stories in the future,” he said.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has so far disbursed almost R100 million of its Industrial Park Revitalisation Programme funds on the park for security infrastructure upgrades, fencing, street lighting and critical electricity requirements, and upgrades on the roofs of some of the factories within the park.
