Contralesa to help boost jobs

CONGRESS of Traditional Leaders (Contralesa) Buffalo City Metro region said they were embarking on a drive to help alleviate unemployment in rural communities at the organisation’s celebration day held at the community hall in Phumlani village, East London, yesterday.

Attended by a largely elderly crowd of some 50 people wearing Xhosa traditional wear, AmaNdlambe Royal House’s Prince Mthuthuzeli Makinana said the reason they had chosen to host the celebration in Phumlani was because the first elections of the Contralesa BCM branch, formed in 2009, were held at the village.

Makinana, who is also BCM branch chairperson, said they had established working relations with the East London-based Clariter factory to identify prospective SMME’s among rural communities.

“The factory will turn plastic waste gathered locally into industrial solvents such as oils, candles and waxes. Some of the closeddown public schools within our areas have been identified as processing sites for these products,” said Makinana.

He also spoke of a joint partnership with Blue Crane Foundation and JAM company to provide Early Childhood Development Centres with 690 pairs of school shoes in the region.

Khoisan royal council member William Nell said their inclusion in 2016 into Contralesa would help in the upliftment of the Khoisan.

Makinana urged all traditional communities in BCM to join Contralesa “so they can benefit from its programmes”. —