In line with his commitment to making local government work better for communities across the province of KZN, the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, MEC Sipho Hlomuka today, 27 October officially opened the Imbali Youth Enterprise Park in Msunduzi and the Matimatolo Community Service Centre, in the uMvoti Local Municipality.
The opening and handover of the two facilities is an important milestone in the efforts made by the provincial government, through Cogta, to bring government services closer to communities and address youth unemployment.
In the Imbali Youth Enterprise Park, the department of Cogta invested R9.4 million so that the facility can be built. The facility provides office space for youth-owned businesses and houses training programmes that are aimed at assisting young people who are in business.
Speaking during the opening of the Enterprise Park, which took place at Imbali Unit 2, MEC Hlomuka re-affirmed his department’s commitment to rejuvenating townships such as Imbali through the deliberate investment in key projects that provide opportunities for the youth. “It gives me great pleasure to be a witness to the opening of this project which will assist our young people to be better able to exploit opportunities in business through the state of the art office space that is now available here at Imbali at a reduced cost to young people,” said MEC Hlomuka.
According to Msunduzi Mayor, Cllr Mzimkhulu Thobolla, the investment that has been made by the department of Cogta into this project will transform the lives of many young people who will now receive specialised support for their businesses. “The ongoing support that we continue to receive from the department of Cogta has ensured that we can deliver on projects such as this one, which helps us to provide specialised support to youth-owned businesses,” said Mayor Thobolla.
MEC Hlomuka also visited the rural village of Matimatolo, near Greytown, where he officially opened the Matimatolo Community Service Centre, which is a specialised facility that houses government services. Through this centre, the residents of Matimatolo will no longer have to travel long distances to access basic government services such as home affairs, the Department of Labour and others.
The Mayor of uMvoti Cllr Thami Ngubane, has hailed the new centre as a step in the right direction by the provincial government as it ensures that rural communities receive developments that make their lives easier especially when it comes to accessing government services.
The centre will also house a state of the art computer centre which will assist the youth to upskill themselves so that they can get access to better opportunities.
Issued by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
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