09 Dec 2013

The Assistant 
Minister of Trade and Industry Mr Keletso Rakhudu has said Selebi Phikwe
Economic Diversification Unit (SPEDU) mandate has been rolled out to other
districts across the country.

Debating on
a motion tabled by Lobatse MP, Mr Nehemiah Modubule called for the
establishment of an economic diversification unit for Lobatse in parliament on
 Friday, December 6, Mr Rakhudu said his minisrty has reviewed the SPEDU mandate from its
original narrow mandate of focusing on Selebi Phikwe and extended the unit to
resuscitate any struggling economy across all the districts.

He said 
SPEDU has been transformed from been an acronym to a properly registered
government company that have been formed from the narrow mandated SPEDU to look
at any area in the country with depressed economy to rejuvenate the ailing
economies at district level.

SPEDU’s
 mandate, he said is no longer restricted to Selebi Phikwe, but is now mandated
to all areas in the country and does not have to translocate physically to such
areas. He therefore
declared the motion on the establishment of an economic diversification unit
for Lobatse redundant since government is already in the process of
resuscitating struggling economies at local level.

SPEDU was
set up to secure a long term survival of Selebi Phikwe and the surrounding
regions beyond the closure of the BCL mine and smelter through actions and
initiatives which may bring sustainable new employment and investment to the
region and hence broaden and underpin its economic and social
base. ENDS