Pretoria: Plans are on track for the construction of a small harbour in KwaZulu Natal’s Ray Nkonyeni District Municipality, says Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala. The development, which will include a boat launching site, fisheries, and related facilities, is expected to create thousands of work opportunities.

According to South African Government News Agency, Deputy Minister Zikalala, addressing the second day of the Umdoni Municipality Investment conference held at Scottburgh, reiterated government’s determination to improve economic and social infrastructure such as roads, bridges, dams, and fibre networks to support small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMMEs) and industrialisation. ‘Working with you, we want to build capacity, including technical, planning, and project management capacity, to maintain all public infrastructure, and prioritise it in budgeting. We are determined to provide resources to maintain ageing infrastructure to prevent disasters and loss of life,’ said the Deputy Minister.

Additionally, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is still investigating where a second small harbour development can be located in KwaZulu Natal, optimising the coastline the province has. The Small Harbour Development Programme is targeting the provinces of KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, and Northern Cape, which were previously excluded under the apartheid government.

Zikalala said government is committed to increasing support for small enterprises, entrepreneurs, and cooperatives in previously disadvantaged communities like townships and villages, which will lead to the creation of work opportunities. The DPWI, as the custodian of state assets, has created an asset optimisation strategy aimed at attracting the private sector to partner with government and develop, utilise, and at a later stage, transfer back to government the immovable assets.

Zikalala called for both the state and the private sector to make investments that will transform societies to give effect to a national democratic society which is truly united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, and prosperous.