The Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality in Limpopo intends to realise its potential to establish a magnificent city in the next two decades, and has already taken considerable strides to do so.
Several ambitious measures to launch the vision were unveiled during a special council meeting held at the municipality in Burgersfort this week.
The council approved, among other projects, the acquisition of land for the R200 million Moroke Mall development and the construction of a gas station in Apiesdoring Draai.
“The vision for the city cannot be realized without economic growth and the availability of land for such activities to take place. The Council has approved the purchase of land for the development of Moroke Mall, subject to public participation processes.
“The investment of the mall is around R200 million, with a space to accommodate 60 shops. The construction will create 90 jobs and, after completion, over 800 permanent jobs,” said municipal spokesperson Thabiso Mokwena.
Mokwena said the development of the Apiesdoring Draai gas station is compatible with the new township, which will contain over 6 000 stands.
He said the R7 million investment will generate 12 permanent positions and will require six months to complete.
“This is a women-driven initiative, and it fits well into the municipality’s vision to empower women,” he said.
According to Mokwena, the council further approved the development of Mashifane Park at Steelpoort Drift Farm, which is anticipated to house light industries, a government precinct, a retail development, housing, and an office complex.
“This will be a game changer for Fetakgomo Tubatse Municipality. The urban housing units will be 4 000 in number and will alleviate housing and rental stock in Burgersfort town. The aggregated investment will be over R4 billion and over 30 000 job opportunities,” he said.
Moreover, the Marula Community Trust and the municipality have entered into a R353 million infrastructure development partnership.
The partnership entails releasing 36 infrastructure projects implemented over two years to the advantage of the communities that host the Marula Platinum Mine.
“The affected communities will benefit in terms of refurbishment of classrooms, fencing of cemeteries, road projects, and ablution facilities. The municipality will be responsible for maintenance after the projects are handed over.
“The implementation of the projects will benefit the community members with employment opportunities and the empowerment of the local SMMEs,” he said.
Mokwena added that the Ratsoma Group will invest more than R450 million to expand the Bopedi Shopping Complex in Apel and construct a new Atok complex.
“The projects will commence in October 2023 until March 2025, and over 2 000 permanent jobs will be created. These milestones will help the municipality to confront the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment, and inequality, as many will benefit in terms of employment and business opportunities,” Mokwena said.
The Fetakgomo Tubatse council estimates that these developments will inject R5 billion into the local economy.
