26 Jun 2017

Closure of BCL Mine, which was the main lifeline and economic contributor in Selebi Phikwe and the SPEDU region, has had a negative economic and social impact on society.

The copper/nickel mine provided jobs to roughly 5 000 people from region and other parts of the country.

In order to address this problem, government has come up with initiatives to revitalise the economy of the region.

The projects are due to take place in Selebi Phikwe and are expected to diversify the economy of the region, create sustainable jobs, boost the business sector, and reduce migration of people from Selebi Phikwe and villages that fall within the SPEDU region to other parts of the country.

Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development Mr Nonofo Molefhi, who is also MP for Selebi Phikwe East, explained during a kgotla meeting at Ikageleng Ward that SPEDU had been tasked with initiating and facilitating the setting up of sustainable projects and facilitating the implementation of the projects in the region while the Department of Lands had set up an office in Selebi Phikwe to speed up allocation of plots to potential business investors.

He explained that two companies that would assemble laptops and cell phones were due to set up in Selebi Phikwe. He also said the project to set up the infrastructure for the assembly plants in Selebi Phikwe was anticipated to commence around August.

He mentioned that the project to set up a pharmaceutical plant was also underway.

Mr Molefhi also indicated that the project to electrify farms along the Motloutse River was in progress.

He said the move was aimed at boosting the agricultural sector to increase food production and create employment.

He noted that SPEDU was currently working on a project with the tourism authorities to set up tourism projects in the vicinity of Dikgatlhong, Letsibogo, Thune and Lotsane dams.

Further, he said crop fields and horticulture projects had been planned to take place around the said dams.

The idea behind the projects was to create a sustainable economy in the region that would create employment and reduce migration of people from the region to other parts of the country, he said.

He also mentioned that the project to construct the Platjaan Bridge was underway and was expected to have a positive impact on the tourism sector as well as importation and exportation of goods.

He explained that government was aware that each BCL employee was responsible for an average of four dependents, which meant that around 20 000 people were affected by the closure of the mine.

Mr Molefhi also explained that the long-awaited project to expand Selebi Phikwe Hospital had been included in the National Development Plan (NDP) 11.

He said the project was expected to commence in the next financial year, adding that a temporary infrastructure for Industrial Court would be set up in Selebi Phikwe until a time when funds would have been availed to establish a permanent base in the mining town. ENDS