6 <strong>Mpumalanga</strong> <strong>Mirror</strong> / <strong>April</strong> 29, <strong>2021</strong>
<strong>Mpumalanga</strong> <strong>Mirror</strong> / <strong>April</strong> 29, <strong>2021</strong> Business 7 FORGING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LULAWAYAND AND GOVERNMENT FINANCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS SANDTON - MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Mr Vusi Mkhatshwa held a meeting with Lulaway – a Services SETA-accredited training provider with youth employment solutions – which prides itself for having placed thousands of unemployment youth in jobs across the country. “I am really looking forward to working with anyone or company which can place our youth in jobs. As government, we have the mandate to create jobs, so that we can reduce unemployment, especially amongst the youth who are in the majority and the mostly affected”, said Mkhatshwa. Lulaway has placed the Province’s 2 500 young people in various permanent jobs over the past three years. “I think Lulaway is a strategic partner towards us addressing youth unemployment in our Province. They partly have a solution in addressing our challenge of creating permanent jobs and job opportunities for our young people. Mkhatshwa has urged Lulaway to profile all SMMEs in the Province, so that government could know in which areas to intervene, by providing financial and nonfinancial support, in order to create the much-needed job opportunities. “As government, we continue to be committed to fund SMMEs given their high potential to create the much-needed job opportunities for our people. Lulaway should now go back, drill the information further and provide us with more details, per district, and per locality, so that we can make informed decisions about available possible interventions,” he added. My interest is to see rural and township economies thriving again Meanwhile, MEC Mkhatshwa indicated that his mission is to revive rural and township economies in the Province, with bias towards empowering young people, including women and people with disabilities. “My interest is to see rural and township economies thriving again. We want to support young people in these areas, with financial and non-financial support, through our entities like MEGA and other development finance institutions. “We will, thus, camp in those areas to make sure that our rural areas and townships thrive again. We want young people to own franchise stores, car washes, filling stations and many other businesses,” explained Mkhatshwa. Mkhatshwa also held an engagement with the NEF’s (National Empowerment Fund) Divisional Executive for Strategic Planning and Significant Investment, Mr SetlakalaneMolepo, and the acting CEO of MEGA, Mr Isaac Mahlangu, to discuss possible areas of collaboration with finance development institutions. Molepo indicated that finance development institutions, like the NEF, would be willing to collaborate with the Department in funding SMMEs in the Province, through the creation of a blendedfunding model between MEGA and the NEF. The blended-funding model would incorporate funding from both the Department (Economic Development and Tourism) through MEGA and institutions like the NEF. The meeting agreed that the creation of such a Fund would be taken further with the NEF. “I agree that the blended-funding model should be considered as a vehicle to bridge the funding gap, we are currently experiencing. MEGA will now approach the NEF for further discussions on the matter. And from what Mr Molepo from the NEF said, I am positive that the talks will surely bear fruits,” concluded Mkhatshwa. MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Mr Vusi Mkhatshwa. New Sheriff In Town Takes The Bull By Its Horns When Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane announced her new Cabinet in February <strong>2021</strong>, Ms Mohita Latchminarain was deemed equal to the task to lead as the "Handyman of the State." She certainly took the bull by its horns and hit the ground running from the very first day. Her appointment augurs well with the democratic Government's transformation agenda to recognize and elevate capable and deserving women and youth to the accolades of power. Mr Josias Motsoeneng Office Manager Ms Amulekani Sambo Appointment Secretary Mr Kgomotso Madihlaba Media Liaison Officer As the new member of the Executive Council responsible for Public Works, Roads and Transport in <strong>Mpumalanga</strong>, Ms Latchminarain is not a stranger to this mandate but has been instrumental in shaping the Department's direction as a member of the Portfolio Committee that conducted oversight on the work of the Department. Prior to that, since joining the <strong>Mpumalanga</strong> Provincial Legislature in 2019, she has worn several hats including that of Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Premier's Office, Finance, Economic Development and Tourism. Mr Kabelo Mashiane Community Outreach Officer Ms Sesi Madalane Secretary Receptionist Apart from her political career as a member of the ruling party, this grinding stone is also a qualified Attorney and has served as a Legal Adviser to the Executive Mayor of Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, her hometown prior to joining the <strong>Mpumalanga</strong> Legislature. She has been exposed to various spheres and functions of Government therefore she has clear understanding of socioeconomic challenges facing the masses. She is not only a mother who has natural instincts of caring for others, but she is also the youngest MEC in Premier Mtsweni-Tsipane's Cabinet and of course the youngest member of the Legislature in the Province. The amount of responsibility placed on she shoulders bears testimony of the confidence bestowed upon her by the Premier based on her competence and intellectual capacity. During a media engagement the MEC highlighted that one of her key focus areas will be on roads maintenance. "Our road infrastructure is a critical artillery of socioeconomic development. Unfortunately, most of our roads in the Province have aged and are not in a good state. These include access roads to social amenities, tourism routes and coal haulage. While there is growing demand for new roads, we need to strike a balance between maintaining our old and starting new construction projects due to budgetary constraints. I intend to strengthen the Department's capacity to deal with this matter vigorously and pro-actively. Another way to achieve this is to invest in jetpatchers and rebuild our workforce to fast-track service delivery," elaborated MEC Latchminarain. Since her appointment to the office, the MEC has been at the coalface of service delivery attesting to the spirit of "Thuma Mina." As the true ambassador of young minds, the Honourable MEC has a dedicated battalion of equally committed and energetic troops to serve the citizens of the Place of the Rising Sun. These young faces include the Office Manager, Mr Josias Motsoeneng; the Appointment Secretary, Ms Amukelani Sambo; the Media Liaison Officer, Mr Kgomotso Madihlaba; the Community Outreach Officer, Mr Kabelo Mashiane as well as the Secretary Receptionist, Ms Sesi Madalane.
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