By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala has announced a R500-million refurbishment programme at 13 harbours in the Western Cape.
The Small Harbours Repairs and Maintenance Programme is a strategic infrastructure programme spearheaded by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and is aimed at bringing the harbours to a greater level of efficiency to revitalise the local economy and to serve the local fishermen, tenants and surrounding communities.
The programme has a catalytic effect on local job creation and investment attraction. The programme has contributed to the removal of sunken vessels, dredging of the harbour basins, repairs to slipways, shore crane replacements, security, civil and electrical infrastructure upgrades.
The upgrades of the small harbours is aimed at creating an appetite to new investors within the harbours which will reignite the local economies across the coastal areas of South Africa and have a positive spin –offs on job creation.
Zikalala announced the programme on Thursday following a visit to the Saldanha and Hout Bay harbours.
The visit aimed to monitor the work done at harbours and engage with stakeholders such as councillors, tenants, local fishers, and civic organisations to understand local concerns surrounding the development of harbours.
“We want to see an economic boom and the SMMEs (small, micro, and medium enterprises) benefiting from the oceans’ economy in these harbours,” said Zikalala.
“We want to attend speedily to the remaining bottlenecks such as long-term leases, security of harbours, land for human settlement purposes, localisation and empowerment of previously disadvantaged communities in the economic value chain of the harbours,” he said.
The department is responsible for the maintenance and infrastructure of South African harbours and the letting or renting of land and structures at harbours.
Zikalala appealed to stakeholders to work together as the department renovates the harbours.
He expressed concern about the acts of vandalism and the acts of criminality by poachers.
The harbours are strategic entry points and vandalism and criminality in these areas pose a high risk to the economy of the country. We need to deal decisively with any lawlessness.