The Gauteng government has secured investment commitments worth R45bn for the Vaal River special economic zone (SEZ).
Making the announcement, premier David Makhura said the provincial government had received commitments from local investors to the tune of billions at the Sedibeng Investment Conference held in October last year. He was speaking at the Gauteng's state of the province address (Sopa) on Monday.
His speech paid particular attention to the role SEZs have played in building the economy of Gauteng such as the Tshwane Automotive SEZ, adding that R1bn had already been spent through the construction phase on SMMEs.
“It's a SEZ built in the shortest time in SA in the midst of a pandemic. That Tshwane SEZ is progressing very well and this year will produce the new Ford Ranger in June.
“There are 12 component manufacturers working with OEMs [original equipment manufacturers]. Many of them are working while work of construction is going on. There is a great sense of emergency there,” he said.
Makhura said they had exceeded the jobs target of 3,288 permanent jobs that would be created at the Tshwane SEZ. He announced that 3,440 jobs had been created.
Moving to the mooted Vaal River SEZ, Makhura said during the Sedibeng Investment Conference, R40bn had been committed.
“At that conference, we didn't have foreign investors but local investors... [who] made a commitment of R45bn in the Vaal River SEZ. Those businesses said they are ready. All they want is construction work to begin.
“The Vaal River SEZ will host the Vaal River City, Green Hydrogen Innovation Hub, the cannabis hub, agro-logistics, aerotropolis, aerodrome, air freight and the revitalised steel industry.
“We said last year, the Vaal River Company has already been registered, a PMO [project management office]) has already been established, there's a project manager for the Vaal River SEZ and the four municipalities in the Vaal have put on the table land of more than 700 hectares to develop the massive industrial zone,” Makhura said.
He said now the critical issue was to unlock bulk infrastructure, adding there was a commitment from the Development Bank of Southern Africa to invest in bulk infrastructure up to the value of R1bn in the area.
“We're working hard and fast with the Vaal municipalities to unlock this R45bn. These are not fairytales, the investors are here and the municipalities are here,” he said.
Makhura said a PMO had been appointed for the Lanseria Smart City development, adding that the construction of the next phase of the OR Tambo SEZ remained on track.
Unimpressed with Makhura, members of the opposition said there was nothing new in the premier's speech, saying he had failed to provide a report on the lifestyle audit he promised would be done in time for Sopa.
EFF provincial leader and MPL Itani Mukwevho said they were disappointed as usual.
“This is his last province address and he was just politicking because no-one will speak about it next year and it's going to be water under the bridge,” he said.
Mukwevho said the only thing that made him happy was the decline in support for the ANC.
“Makhura talks about plans but there is no implementation of what he talks about here,” Mukwevho said.
DA provincial leader Solly Msimanga said billions had gone into investments in the province but more and more people were unemployed.
“More and more young people are becoming unemployable and that's what he needed to talk about today. With a province like ours where we have more than a 1m housing backlog, he failed to even acknowledge that there is a lot that needs to be done.
“The speech was disappointing because we should be building houses at a high rate right now and provide services at an accelerated rate,” Msimanga said.
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