Coastline holds key to boosting jobs, economy

EXPLOITING the 800km coastline to create jobs and boost the economy was among the objectives of the Operation Phakisa workshop held at the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) on Friday.

The Eastern Cape was praised for having the potential to create jobs and alleviating the rife poverty throughout the province.

This, it was said, could be done through exploiting the riches of our largest commodity, the ocean, through aquaculture, marine and coastal tourism.

Key speakers at the workshop included AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcau, deputy director-general at premier Phumulo Masualle’s office, Mahlubandile Qwase, and Department of Public Works’ national deputy director Sam Thobagale, among others.

ADM executive mayor Nomfusi Nxawe said the initiative would bring about possible investment opportunities and game-changing economic spin offs for ADM communities.

“The workshop is aimed to equip our local municipalities to unlock ocean wealth opportunities that will benefit our communities in the lines of improved living standards through sustainable job creation,” she said.

Nxawe added that for better management and efficient oversight, the programme would have to be “included in our Integrated Development Plan and will be tabled at the State of the District Address scheduled for May”.

“Despite the rural nature of our district, the ocean economy makes room for accelerated development in our area, which we want to see transforming the lives of ADM communities,” she said.

ADM has four of its seven local municipalities under their jurisdiction, situated in coastal areas.

They are Mbhashe, Ngqushwa, Great Kei and Mnquma local municipalities.

Some of the key resolutions taken at the workshop include that ADM, through its development agency Aspire, assists local municipalities with developing bankable business plans to attract investors to their ocean economy projects.

It was also resolved that all stakeholders must work together with traditional authorities and create partnerships to ensure sustainability of development initiatives, adding that profit sharing realised from ocean economy activities should also benefit the affected traditional authorities.

Qwase said black people needed to see the opportunities in the ocean. —