Gauteng’s provincial government, in partnership with municipalities and the national departments of Trade and Industry and Environmental Affairs would be launching an investment centre by the end of the month.

The “one-stop” centre would be based in Sandton and would seek to facilitate investments, thereby contributing to job creation and economic growth, Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane said on Thursday.

Speaking at a business briefing hosted by national newspaper the New Age, she also said that the Gauteng government intended to reindustrialise Ekurhuleni, which would further create jobs.

Commenting on transport in the province, Mokonyane pointed out that Gauteng was the only province that had undertaken to develop a single transport authority.

“The intention is that we have to work as an integrated reliable transport system. The foundations thereof can be seen through the roll-out of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system in the Johannesburg central business district.”

She added that the provincial government was now working on the second phase of the Johannesburg BRT, and developing a system for Ekurhuleni and Pretoria. “We will be spending up to R10.3-billion in this regard,” the Premier said.

EDUCATION

Mokonyane also said that there was a need to invest in basic education. “There has been a dramatic improvement in matric results, but there is a need to take it further. We are investing in bursary schemes for learners coming from no fee schools and from previously disadvantaged communities.”

Over the past year, the bursary scheme has assisted about 1 500 learners, of which 1 200 are girls. “Through these schemes we are reducing teen pregnancies and the level of absenteeism, while increasing their own development. We have invested more than R200-million on secondary schools out of our own budget,” she stated.