Your Worship Executive Mayor

ADDRESS BY MMAPHEFO MATSEMELA, MEC FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM, ON BEHALF OF THE PREMIER OF THE NORTH WEST, MME MAUREEN MODISELLE. OFFICIAL OPENING OF RUSTENBURG SHOW, 29 MAY 2009

Your Worship Executive Mayor

Speaker and Single Whip

Honorable Dikgosi

Colleagues from the Executive Council

Hon. Members of Parliament Legislature

Executive Mayors

Mayors

Councilors

Mr Young, President of Rustenburg Agricultural and Industrial Society, Your Vice-Presidents and also Your Executive Committee, Members of our Business Community,

People of Rustenburg

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

Programme Director, let me on behalf of the North West Provincial Government and the people of the North West province, welcome all of you to the platinum city, Rustenburg.

And also let me thank the organizers for inviting me to open this Provincial strategic show but also for the organization’s service and contribution to the economic development of our province and in particular Rustenburg

Your Worship Executive Mayor Mathews Wolmarans and people of Rustenburg thanks for inviting us to the annual Rustenburg show and we believe that this show will showcase different sectors for economic growth of the Municipality, Bojanala and also the Province

Rustenburg is currently rated to be one of the fastest growing Cities in the country and continent. This includes not only traditional forms of development such as increased urbanization, the transformation of natural and agricultural land, open spaces and increasing pressure on services; but also large scale industrialization due to industries such as those of the mining sector. Associated with this is the advent of the Platinum Spatial Development Initiative (SDI), the Mozambique-Botswana corridor and the Bafokeng Platinum N4 Initiative.

Historically, the wealth and development of Rustenburg was dependent on the agricultural sector. The area was considered in the past to be a strong source for the supply of citrus products. Recently, however, the boom in the platinum market has spurned a new growth of mining activities that together have culminated in an unprecedented scale of development. This has included an increasing need for housing, adequate services, access, work opportunities and recreational facilities. Consequently, the pressure on the natural environment has also increased in association with this development pressure.

Programme Director, Ladies and Gentlemen Rustenburg show this year mark 61 years been taking place, and we must particularly applaud your long-term – in some sense even lifetime – investment in our Province. Long may this Show live, and even longer may its own growth and development be.

Four hundred exhibitors and thousands visitors are sign of a Show whose economic importance cannot be underestimated, and so we as government pledge our continued support for this initiative in the interests of our people – these masses whose development is ultimately why we as government exist, and why as business can continue to sustain yourselves.

As we open the show, representation for opportunities from industrial, agricultural, mining, manufacturing, SMME’s, business from micro to macro, Rustenburg local municipalities and Government department to showcase their opportunities for the people of Rustenburg, Province and the Country

Through the show would be able to share information on how mining, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism in the province contribute 6% of our GDP to the country, The business role in the country’s economy is further attested to by the fact that a Show such as the Rustenburg Show attracts participation even from the Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng provinces, locally, and other SADC Countries and also Internationally

Together with government you are therefore architects as well as builders of the social stability of our Province. We are aware of your partnership with local government, the Royal Bafokeng Nation and the House of Traditional Leaders, among other significant public representative structures. Yours is thus a visible commitment and contribution to the practice of public-private partnership (PPP).

For the past 61 years of the show it has been given opportunities for all levels of business from micro – macro, the challenge in this year show is to transform it so as to ensure that historically disadvantage sectors are given more opportunities so that we are able to close the gap of the past

We are left with 16 day before Confederations Cup and also almost a year for the World cup that will be hosted by our country in particular Rustenburg, We are confident that Rustenburg Municipality as a host city and all the stakeholders and people of the province will support this two important events for patriotism

You’re Worship Executive Mayor, Dikgosi tsa rona, Ladies and Gentlemen I officially declare Rustenburg show open. E ebile Setswana sa re: Kgabutle ga a ke a feta gaabo a re go tlala

I thank you

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