The multimillion-rand Fetakgomo Tubatse Special Economic Zone (FTSEZ) in the mining town of Steelpoort outside Burgersfort in Limpopo’s Sekhukhune area is starting on a bumpy road with residents and SMMEs threatening to bring the project to a complete halt.
These threats come amid claims that companies are given more than one project, while others are sidelined.
Sharon Dikotope of Steelpoort SMMEs said they were told that the project would uplift local communities and SMMEs through job opportunities during the construction phase.
Project not delivering on promises
“From where we stand, the project is enriching certain individuals who are given more than one project. In the process, instead of hiring the directly affected families, these contractors are offering their friends and families those job opportunities,” said Dikotope. She identified the Gauteng-based construction company Afriboa as one of the companies that have secured more than one project.
Dikotope added that on Friday, May 2, they unsuccessfully tried to secure a meeting with Afroboa directors.
“We wanted clarity as to why there are only a few people from the local area who are working on the project. This, while the rest are from outside their area. The agreement during the public participation was that locals were to be given first preference. This was to be part of job opportunities and skills transfer. But what we see now is the opposite of the agreement we made when we signed for the project to be approved.”
She was referring to the promised 1 725 indirect and 5 000 direct jobs.
Officials had assured residents of preferential access
Fetakgomo-Tubatse mayor Eddie Maila addressed the public participation last month. The event was also attended by Premier Phophi Ramathuba and MEC for LEDET, Tshitereke Matibe.
He said: “The long-awaited Fetakgomo-Tubatse SEZ is finally here. And all that is left for us as a community is to safeguard this project to make sure it benefits us as the community. Because that’s one of the best tools that is going to change our lives and Fetakgomo-Tubatse’s economy.”
The proposed FTSEZ mega project on a 1010-hectare land around the R555 corridor will be a multi-sectoral SEZ. It will focus on manufacturing, energy production, automotive, and agricultural inputs.
Different clusters
The SEZ’s founding clusters include mining inputs, manufacturing, renewable energy, mineral processing, logistics, agro-processing, general manufacturing, and automotive clusters. They will have a key focus on electric vehicles and the aftermarket.
The proposed SEZ is located in the industrial hub of the Steelpoort area. This is between two huge mining establishments, the Samancor smelter and the Lion Ferrochrome Smelter. These are strategic landmarks for the establishment of the SEZ.
