NKANGALA – The Nkangala District Municipality has set a target of generating 24 790 new employment opportunities over the next five years.
This announcement was made by Executive Mayor Thomas Ngwenya during the municipality’s State of the District Address (SODA) on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
Ngwenya highlighted that these job prospects are intended to primarily benefit around 61% of the 38.9% of unemployed youth.
He said that in order to achieve this objective, the Nkangala Economic Development Agency (NEDA) has been entrusted with overseeing economic transformation and employment generation.
Ngwenya further disclosed that NEDA will be executing two distinct economic stimulation initiatives in the upcoming 2024/2025 financial year: the establishment of a brick manufacturing plant and a water purification chemical manufacturing plant. A budget of R15 million has been allocated for these projects.
“This strategic investment is anticipated to invigorate the economic value chain and yield a substantial number of employment opportunities within the district. NEDA will also be formulating viable business proposals for our catalytic projects that are currently lacking funding, as identified by the DDM council,” Ngwenya emphasised.
“We are pleased to announce the recent appointments of the new Board of Directors, CEO, and CFO of NEDA within the district,” Ngwenya added.
Additionally, Ngwenya presented an overview of the municipality’s budget for the 2024/2025 financial year.
The total allocated budget of the municipality for the current fiscal year stands at R593 910 856 for revenue, R783 261 751 for operational expenses, and an internal capital budget of R53 120 000.
The entirety of the operational budget includes a sum of R369 065 083 designated for transfers and subsidies towards infrastructure projects in local municipalities.
R26 500 000 will be allocated to Emakhazeni Municipality, R10 000 000 to Emalahleni Municipality, and R6 000 000 to Steve Tshwete Municipality. Victor Khanye, Dr JS Moroka, and Thembisile Hani municipalities will receive R119 417 483, R20 175 000, and R108 800 000, respectively.
