Partnership aims to create employment

SABIE - Over 300 job opportunities are set to be created within the Ehlanzeni District, and this is all thanks to a partnership between PalletBiz, a private sector company, the Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM) and Thaba Chweu Local Municipality.

Speaking during the official launch last Thursday, the EDM’s manager, Dr Nontobeko Mahlalela, said this project will help eradicate poverty, unemployment and all social ills in the area.

“As the Ehlanzeni District Municipality, we are currently standing at a 42.2% unemployment rate and crime is at its peak. If we can make this project a success, we will surely see a lot of changes. We are fully behind the building of an industrial park, the Timber Complex, because the youth in the area will benefit through skills development and employment,” said Mahlalela.

To show their commitment to the project, they have already engaged various stakeholders, such as the national Department of Transport and the government of eSwatini to work on a route network.

“We had a meeting with the Department of Transport to work on upgrading the national routes, and to upgrade and rehabilitate road networks to have a proper export and import channel. The upgrades of railways will make it cost-effective to transport the end products of this timber complex,” said Mahlalela.

The acting executive mayor of EDM, Cllr Terrance Shabangu, pledged the municipality’s support to the cause and ensured all the investors and partners that it would see to it that the project gets kick-started so that local people can benefit. It will also be good for the development of the area, he said.

Mthobisi Zondi, the chairperson of PalletBiz, said the whole project will be an economic transformation in the area. “SMMEs will participate in the sustainable economic change, and the local economy will flourish. The project will make sure that no one is left out and will allow everyone to participate.”

Zondi said the development of the entire district will be facilitated by this innovative cutting-edge project.

“The first phase will be building a sawmill for the processing of logs into timber products. This phase will contribute to a lot of employment opportunities downstream, as we will have supporting companies and offer supply chain jobs. The local construction companies will be given preference when doing construction works.

“We will then embark on phase 2 of the project, which is a pallet manufacturing plant that will kick-start its construction six months after the first phase. We will work with other local wood companies, as we are very determined to uplift the locals,” Zondi said.