In a bid to attract revenue and to create employment opportunities, the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (STLM) has proposed to Clover SA to move its cheese factory to the municipality in Mpumalanga. Photo: Supplied.
In a bid to attract revenue and to create employment opportunities, the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (STLM) has proposed to Clover SA to move its cheese factory to the municipality in Mpumalanga.
This follows an announcement stating the factory was moving its cheese production from Lichtenburg, citing ongoing poor service delivery as the main reason for the move.
If the proposal is successful, the municipality plans to accommodate the factory in Middelburg.
According to STLM, it is currently ranking well in good governance comparisons, and for the past five years, the municipality has been awarded clean audits and boasts a 95% payment rate since 2005.
The STLM municipal manager, Bheki Khenisa, says bringing the factory to the municipality will have great spin-offs for residents.
He said, for years, the municipality had facilitated a conducive environment for business through good governance and excellent service delivery.
Khenisa believes that the factory will thrive in the municipality, even though the economy is supported by mining and industrial incomes.
“The municipality has been enjoying a stable economic environment for years. We have also demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that we are capable of hosting big businesses,” says advocate Khenisa.
Ideally situated less than 150km from Pretoria and 170km from the country’s economic giant Johannesburg, Khenisa says Clover SA will benefit from the municipality’s world-class infrastructure and its proximity to economic hubs.
He says the municipality’s location along the N4 will make it possible and convenient for the factory to easily access Mozambique and the port of Richards Bay.
“Our municipality has for years been home to South Africa’s only Stainless Steel manufacturer, Columbus Stainless, which provides more than 2 000 job opportunities. We also have a strong agricultural component and are situated in South Africa’s maize triangle.
The businesses in the area enjoy an extensive well-constructed and regularly maintained road network and the highest level of water management certified with Blue Drop Status. With three Eskom Power Stations located within the area, and various mines supplying necessary coal, Clover SA will enjoy a stable electricity supply. We encourage Clover SA and other investors to take advantage of these,” says Khenisa.
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