Africa-Press – Eswatini. Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala has urged the Municipal Council of Manzini to attract more investors and tourists into the city in order to create jobs and improve lives.
The minister was speaking at the council chamber during his familiarisation tour of the city.
Maphalala who was joined by senior officials from the ministry toured the city’s infrastructure of understand and appreciate the projects and developments done by the city.
He was led by the city’s Chief Executive Officer, Lungile Dlamini, and her executive. Also present was the Manzini Mayor Nozipho Dlamini-Gamedze and her council as well as the Regional Administrator, Chief Gija among others. Maphalala told the CEO and her team that the city could do more to generate activity and improve the lives of their residence and the country.
“It is about time you adopt a business unusual attitude towards the city’s development and improvement of the quality of citizens’ life.
The only way you will achieve exponential development is if you remove all red tape for both domestic and foreign investors. If an investor approaches you and express desire to plant a multi-million investment in the city, welcome them with both hands,” he said.
Growth
He urged the municipality to desist from the habit of declining investors just because of legislations.
“Yes, legislations are there for purposes of guiding you on what to do but always have an attitude to assist the investor to fulfill their desire in the city. We cannot afford to have a E3 billion investment turned away just because of a section when the country has a mammoth task to creating jobs.
‘‘ Find a way of maneuvering around the dictates of the law but without breaking the law. The bottom line is that we must not lose even a single investment,’’ said the minister. He commended his former colleague, CEO for sailing the city through rough waters to realize the exponential growth it has achieved since she assumed office about 10 years ago.
He urged the CEO and her team that it was about time they adopt the first world status mentality and do things the digital way for ease and effective way of doing business.
“I must also commend the CEO who has done a commendable job in running the city over the years. I encourage you to think even broader, dream big and achieve big,” he said.
The CEO told the minister that the city had a number of multi-million projects where they would seek support from his office in order to realise its implementation.
She said the city is working around the clock to realise the implementation of two major projects which have already been blessed by His Majesty King Mswati III.
She said both project would change the face of the city and further create the much needed job opportunities.
She highlighted the development of Manzini Arch mall and Manzini Regional Shopping Mall as main projects which the council is pushing to realise its implementation.
Projects
“The municipality is working as a support function on the preparation of developing the Manzini Arch Shopping Mall at the golf course site by national government and her private partners and the Manzini Regional Mall at the old trade fair grounds by national government and her private partners,” she said.
Among the many projects the council is working on, she also highlighted the Moneni Urban Development Programme (UDP) where the municipality is working with their mother ministry to finalise plots allocations and transfers, which was upgraded through the urban development programme in 2006/2007.
“To date, (286) plots have been allocated with (107) residents issued with letters of offer but only has paid in full for their plots. This is as a result of the area’s ownership dispute between the two traditional authorities claiming ownership of the farm,” she said.
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