PRETORIA - Deputy President David Mabuza on Wednesday held a meeting with commissioners of the National Planning Commission’s project team on township economy, the Presidency said in Pretoria.
The purpose of the meeting was for the Mabuza to be apprised on the research that the commission has been doing on the township economy.
The Presidency said Mabuza welcomed the input by the delegation on the work done thus far in framing interventions required in stimulating the townships and villages into the new growth points of the economy.
Mabuza petitioned the delegation to expand their work beyond the township economy, to include economic activities taking place in South Africa's rural communities and villages.
“In including the rural economy, we acknowledge the contradictions and configuration of our country’s political economic history and thus commit ourselves to shaping policy processes and outcomes that will result in the successful realisation of radical economic transformation,” Mabuza said.
The Deputy President also tasked the team to look at various models currently being implemented in different provinces, in order to draw lessons from those that have not worked and to replicate those that have successfully been implemented. He called on the delegation to look at the models in relation to comparative advantages that each province or district presents for the potential economic growth.
The National Planning Commission’s delegation was led by Dr Thami Mazwai, who is a National Planning Commissioner and project leader on the township economy.
The Presidency said the meeting was initiated in line with Mabuza’s key delegated responsibility of coordinating interventions to stimulate and support township and rural economies through the implementation and consolidation of socio-economic models. This part of work includes the championing of high impact tourism empowerment and value chains for SMMEs in special economic zones.
As per their mandate, the National Planning Commission has done extensive research on key drivers towards an inclusive economy as outlined in the third chapter of the National Development Plan.