KLCBT’s input into the Integrated Development Plan (IDP)

  • October 22nd, 2021

The Integrated Development Plan is the first step      towards a 5-year plan for the municipalities and the the step before budgets are developed.  During this process each ward and all business stakeholders like KLCBT get an opportunity to give input in what the plan should contain.  The process is underway and we had our meeting and gave our input during the last few days.  Top of our list is impeccable service delivery!  Our wish is for the creation of catalytic projects that will make a real difference in local economic development and job creation.  To this end we recommended factories to supply basic goods, the mentorship of 1000 youths per year, we would like to see the development of the Little Village Culture; experiential culture;  night schools;  the dam…; animal pounds; expanded bus routes so       Nelspruit can stay open later at night

Herewith our full input:

The Senior Manager:  Macro Policy and Planning

City of Mbombela

Mbombela

Attention:  Mr Johannes Malaudzi / Mr Henk Schoeman

Dear Sir

RE:  SUBMISSION INTO 5-YEAR IDP FOR 2022-26

Thank you once again for allowing us the opportunity to make a submission into the IDP for next year.  We have, as always asked the public and our affiliate organisations to make submissions which we can put forward to the council.

The only way to create sustainable and meaningful opportunities and jobs, are with sensible catalytic project across the entire region.  We have included these in our suggestions below.

It is our opinion that increase poverty and inequality are already threatening the livelihood of the local community and will soon become critical if real opportunities for businesses and jobs are not forthcoming.  For this reason, we believe the only way to uplift poverty and grow the local economy, is to uplift the entire Ehlanzeni region by means of meaningful, catalytic projects which will benefit everybody.  We have embarked on roadshows during the month of September to propose this idea and get input as to what these projects should be.  We would like to workshop it with your team as well during the next few days, but so far the catalytic project ideas for City of Mbombela are:

1.         Develop Mbombela into a safe, vibrant regional capital city (this includes township tourism)

            For this to happen we need to

·        expand the public transport for buses to run at night to take staff home after closing hours.  This is what prevent businesses from opening at night.  If current restaurants and clubs will open for 2 extra hours a day, imagine the impact!
  • Expand camera network in city centre, provide assistance to the network that is being developed.

2.         Develop the Makhonjwa Mountains World Heritage site into a world-class, vibrant route and attraction.  We are aware that MTPA is the official management authority, but they will need all the help they can get from the business community.  Please do not hand over this problem, we all remain responsible.

3.         Create a little village culture in the small towns, Barberton, Hazyview, White River, Kaapsehoop, Kabokweni, etc which are pristine, clean, friendly and looks like a picture on a chocolate box! This type of tourism is gaining international popularity.

            For this to happen we need

  • impeccable and reliable service delivery on a world class scale.  Mbombela has the most beautiful little towns, but they look so terrible that we are losing massive local tourism to Western Cape and places like Clarins.  I beg you to get this right.  We need reliable water, electricity, sewerage, cleaning, waste collection, clean parks, so we can concentrate on beautification.

Zoom towns are becoming the in-thing.  Top executive buy houses in small towns and work from home.  We are competing with other towns in that market – we are losing against Western Cape and Clarins.  These people have lots of money and will contribute vastly to their communities.  Please get this right.

  • Make Adopt a Spot easy accessible – let us handle the applications and paperwork and allow for businesses to put branding in a spot they adopt.  Can we please get this going.  It will lessen the strain on your parks department.

4.         Meaningful experiential cultural tourism – interacting with real people in their real environment, not a cultural village, which is now being seen as a human zoo.

5.         Make obvious tourism sites available for development to private sector.  One example for Mbombela is the Legogote Mountain.  This does not need to cost money for the city – just be open to proposals for development.

6.         Initiate the idea of a new age cemetery where parks and cemetery is the same thing.  Again, making our city beautiful with other people’s funds.  I have a full presentation I can give you in this regard.  The idea is revolutionary and City of Mbombela can be the first and best in SA.

7.         Set up factories which can supply basic goods towards government procurement (instead of making people from outside the province rich).  These factories can expand to franchises in the townships with ready-made containers and small business owners can own their own business with the massive support of the factory management.  This is how you really incubate small businesses. 

  • For this we need market assurance from the City as well as policy changes to ensure the City procures from these factories. 
  • We would like to roll out one every year for at least a five year period.  They will acquire their own funding, but we need pre-feasibility of R500 000 per factory per year.
  • Further to this, each of these factories undertake to adopt one tourism spot to develop as a sponsored project, also using interns as explained below.

8.         We would like to mentor 1000 interns per year in the City of Mbombela area in all fields possible.  The interns will be absorbed firstly in the factories as stated above and all associated trades of the roll out, but will also be placed with small SMMEs to help them develop into bigger businesses and hopefully become managers and partners in those businesses.  For this we need managed internships.  SETA and colleagues are providing stipends, but we need an additional R1700 per student per month for administration and management as well as professional coaching before and during placement.  This has massive advantages

  • to the interns, who can now get their qualification because they have placement with a company,
  • for the SMME who benefits from a new staff member without much added cost,
  • for the business owner who learn to become more corporate and upskill his own management potential, and
  • for the economy because those stipends of R3 – R4000 per month are spent into our local economy!  This means R4 million extra is available in our economy per month. 
  • It will help Mbombela to become that vibrant young city as more and more young people will be interested to study here, because of the internship options.

Again, we are ready to do a presentation to you about this.

For these ideas to be explored, we would like to ask for an additional R500 000 for pre-feasibility funding and R1 million to be set aside for early implementation for each of these potential projects, most of them do not require additional funding, as it will come from other agencies or private funding.

2.         We ask for funding for information centres in Nelspruit, White River and Barberton, each at R360 000 per year.  The rest of the funding is contributed by the tourism members and fund raising activities.  Information centes are cost centres, not income generators – those days are over, yet they remain an essential part of service delivery to the visitors and now unfortunately need to be funded from somewhere.  Without assistance the offices in Barberton and White River will have to be closed in the next few months, and operations in Nelspruit will have to be scaled down considerably.

3.         Set aside R500 000 in total for project based assistance to chambers and Local Tourism Organisations.  Only pay this out to properly presented and viable mini-projects.  One example is the development of the area around the large soccer ball and hosting regular events there.  Further to this, please provide basic assistance of R20 000 per year to each LTO to run their meetings and administration.

4.         We are very concerned over the rapidly growing number of adult illiteracy and the lack of opportunities for those people to be schooled and further their education.  I would like to ask for adult education centres where working adults or unemployed adults can go to school at night and pass their matric or technical qualification.  This could be done in partnership with one of the educational institutions in our city.

5.         Focus strongly on safety issues, get cameras working, get traffic safer, particularly on the R40, get the animal pounds built to get the cattle off the roads, assist with the formation of more CIDs.

6.         Do not miss any opportunity to get the new dam built and to implement measures to improve our bulk water storage capacity – we are heading for a crisis!  Reduce water waste at all costs!  Get sewerage plants up and running properly!

7.         Fast track construction of P166 bypass to relief the increasingly dangerous traffic conditions on the R40 which is now stressed far beyond its design capacity.

Herewith please receive inputs from Hazyview:

1)         Informal traders stalls and a municipal market required in the CBD to facilitate bylaw enforcement and health regulations

2)         A tourism market on the R40 approx 10km south of Hazyview, as a tourism attraction and to facilitate bylaw enforcement

3)         A livestock pound in Hazyview with a system for transporting stray livestock away from the busy roads and impounding them

4)         A fire station to service the town and surrounding areas

5)         Improved sewage treatment plant and attention to pipe infrastructure where damaged.

6)         A new network of stormwater drains to service the R40 through Hazyview town

7)         Speed humps (not rumble strips), permanent speed/security cameras, pavement repairs and roadside barriers on the R40 access to town between the De Rust T-junction (R40/R538) and the Sabie road junction (R40/R536). Road lane widening on the R40 all the way through the town.

8)         Widening of the R536 Kruger Gate Road and provision of a circle or robot at 4-ways (Albatross entrance to the ‘vakansiedorp’) and at the junction of Tarentaal and R538 Sanbonani access. Speed humps would also be desirable on the downhill sections leading over the Sanbonani Sand River Bridge coming both from the Hazyview and Shabalala directions.

9)         Speed humps outside all schools in the ‘vakansiedorp’, particularly in Tarentaal.

10)       A total overhaul of all directional road signage in the town.

11)       Street lights in all unlighted streets in the residential area known as the ‘vakansiedorp’ and tarring of untarred sections. Adequate provision of pavements.

12)       A dedicated bus terminus and expanded taxi rank facilities to accommodate vehicles currently sitting at satellite ranks outside the town

13)       Repair to or demolition of damaged public swimming pool and associated buildings in ‘vakansiedorp’.

14)       Repair of the Blue Mountain road, running across the Sabaan river from Kiepersol to the R536 Sabie road west of Tanamera Lodge.

Herewith please receive input from White River:

1.         Clinics open 24/7 relieve hospitals
2.         Fast track the P166 by pass relieve traffic R40
3.         Encourage proper law enforcement in the city 
3.         Management and control -building ,noise, illegal dumping, illegal signage by- law.
4.         Increase infrastructure in rural areas.

5.         Water and sanitation – pollution rivers needs urgent attention. Skills development in progressive maintenance water and waste water practices.  Spend more money on training responsible individuals.
6.         Rail Tourism and affordable public transport

7.         Funding to rehabilitate parks and fencing thereof (LTO will submit proposal)

Herewith please receive inputs from Barberton:

  1. We desperately need a fire truck……
  2. Our roads are as bad as all  the rest.
  3. Funding Info centre,
  4. WHS, Is that still happening.
  5. GEO TRAIL road a mess. Portions have broken down the hill and is dangerous at places.
  6. Continuous stealing of our water pipes all for the brass!!!
  7. Illegal Mining!!!

We request an opportunity to workshop all these ideas with you and to make input in the LED strategy.  All of the above projects are examples but we used the once which can be quick wins to stimulate growth and employment right now.  Many more can follow if the budget allows for regular pre-feasibility and feasibility study and if the City commits its support to the projects. Together, we can make the City of Mbombela the envy of South Africa. 
                                               

Thank you once again for the opportunity.

Kind Regards

Linda Grimbeek

COO

21 October 2021