Small craft harbour to be built on the South Coast

A MULTI-million rand small craft harbour development project on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast was announced by Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala on 5 June.

Zikalala says plans are on track for the construction of a small harbour in the Ray Nkonyeni District Municipality, which stretches from Hibberdene to Port Edward on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.  According to the department, the development will include a boat launching site, fisheries and related facilities, and is expected to cost close to a billion rand and will create thousands of work opportunities.

He said the Department is still investigating where a 2nd small harbour development can be located in KwaZulu-Natal, positively optimising the coastline the province has. According to the department, the Small Harbour development programme is targeting the KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and Northern Cape, which it says were previously excluded under the previous government.  

Addressing the 2nd day of the Umdoni Municipality Investment conference held at Scottburgh, Zikalala reiterated government’s determination to improve economic and social infrastructure such as roads, bridges, dams and fibre networks to support 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.

Zikalala said government was 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.

He said the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, as the custodian of state assets, has created the asset optimisation strategy which is aimed at attracting the private sector to partner with government and develop, utilise and at a later stage, transfer immovable assets back to government.

Zikalala made a clarion call 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.