By Boipelo Mere
President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially announced plans to set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Northern Cape, given the province’s rich mineral resources.
Ramaphosa announced on Friday in the province’s capital of Kimberley, following closed-door engagements with government national executives as well as the Northern Cape provincial government’s executive and mayors at the Sol Plaatje University.
“This province is the linchpin of moving the entire process of industrialisation and the manufacturing folds,” Ramaphosa said after the negotiation.
“This is a province that is on the move. It has a great deal of promise; it has a great future with regards to skills development, where we are also going to develop the skills of young people,” he added.
The president declared the engagements with the province’s leaders as ‘a perfect day in the office, adding that Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul and his executive made very impressive presentations. Saul sold the Northern Cape’s vision to resuscitate the province’s economy through special projects very well, according to the president.
Ramaphosa highlighted the Northern Cape’s unmatched levels of radiation as a unique feature that could potentially catapult the province to the peak of industrialisation in South Africa. He also lauded the province for being at the forefront of the clean energy revolution and attracting more renewable energy investments, notably in solar and green hydrogen fields.
“The province's Green Hydrogen Masterplan is ambitious in both scope and potential benefits – not just for the Northern Cape but for the national economy, for the SADC region, for the continent and globally,” he said.
While optimistic, the president also highlighted a few challenges that hamper progress in the Northern Cape. These include access to municipal services and infrastructure maintenance, amongst others.
“Besides the strides being made in the energy sector, we note that the province is working to become an industrial hub. This is supported by traditional industries like mining, but is being expanded through special economic zone development, industrial park development and major infrastructure developments, notably in port and rail.”
“Fiscal constraints are, however, holding back several projects, particularly at a municipal level, including for disaster response, asbestos eradication, land restitution, rural electrification and public housing,” added the president.
The meeting with the Northern Cape was the president’s sixth formal engagement with provinces. He has previously met with government executives in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and the Eastern Cape.
The engagements are aimed at strengthening cooperative governance in provinces while breaking down silos for greater cooperative project planning and collaborative execution.
