Skills transfer in clothing and textile industries to empower rural communities
IN AN effort to reduce unemployment and poverty among women in rural Keates Drift in Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal, Lelly Mntungwa established a clothing factory five years ago.
The town is one of the poorest in South Africa. Its shoe factory closed its doors 26 years ago, leaving 3000 families without any source of income.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) said Mntungwa was doing invaluable work.
Speaking from her factory, Mntungwa said the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), which was responsible for all staff training and skills development requirements, came to her rescue in 2019.
“HWSETA has now aligned with the government Retail, Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather (R-CTFL) Value Chain Master Plan by giving rural communities a chance to participate in skills programmes, especially in clothing and textiles. Skills transfer is a sustainable gift that can empower people to become income generators and survive during difficult situations,” said Mntungwa.
HWSETA has also identified 19 co-operatives involving 800 people in rural areas across South Africa, to enhance their skills so they are able to manufacture for retail stores.
Mntungwa’s Msinga Clothing Factory, which employs 100 women on site, now makes garments for the Foschini Group, Mr Price and Ackermans. She has been nominated by HWSETA to mentor other projects in rural areas.
Deputy Department of Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Nomalungelo Gina said the South African R-CTFL Value Chain Master Plan to 2030 focused on actions of all stakeholders and mechanisms to monitor its implementation. The plan aimed to improve and develop the retail, clothing, textile, footwear and leather sector, thereby creating meaningful employment and socio-economic development, she said.
“The master plan will represent the first commitment from a broad array of retailers to buy local, driving local manufacturing and employment. To achieve the objectives of the master plan, the industry will need to rethink and reinvent itself so that each of us makes a substantial contribution and we all benefit. It will require commitment from all stakeholders, including retailers, manufacturers, workers and government.”
BERLIN: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said yesterday that comments about women made by Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games chief Yoshiro Mori were “absolutely inappropriate”.
Mori has come under fire for saying last week that meetings with female participants take a long time, adding that they “get competitive” with each other.
He apologised and retracted his comments while also attempting to justify them, inviting further criticism.
The Tokyo Games organising committee will convene a special board meeting on Friday. Following Mori’s remarks, about 440 Games volunteers have quit and organisers have received more than 5 500 complaints.
The Tokyo Olympics was postponed last year due to the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The IOC, working with organisers to host the Games in July, did not mention any further action against Mori.