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Durban: As directed by the Premier Sihle Zikalala, both the departments of Human Settlements and Public Works have undertaken a youth empowerment programme to ensure that youth entrepreneurs in the construction sector are assisted to enable them to be at the forefront of the infrastructure revolution.

We value to support from national government which will be represented by the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Pam Tshwete.

Today about 90 youth entrepreneurs, out of 119, from all corners of the province will sign an agreement with government, paving the way for them to be part of capacity building and Siyakha Incubation Programme.

Importantly, as we move forward, they will also be allocated construction work as part of the rollout of socio-economic infrastructure.

For KwaZulu-Natal Province alone, the total infrastructure budget allocation amounts to R16.449 billion during this financial year. Of this amount, existing infrastructure assets received the largest share, approximately 57.8% (R9.514 billion).

Non-infrastructure (expenditure not directly linked to the construction of infrastructure assets) received the second largest share at R2.202 billion, while new infrastructure assets received R1.166 billion.

This massive investment is packaged in such a way that we defeat the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. These challenges have been compounded by the outbreak of COVID-19.

The event, which is strictly by invitation, is scheduled as follows:

Date             : 10 June 2021

Time            :  08h30 to 13h00  

Venue          :  Greyville Convention Centre – 150 Avondale Road

It should be noted that, after careful analysis of our work, we are continuously reengineering our approach to assist the province and the country to grow.

We are focusing on vocational training to ensure that the people of this province, especially the youth, are appropriately skilled and supported to enable them take up the new opportunities we are creating in the various sectors of the economy through the delivery of socio-economic infrastructure.

Issued by the MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works Jomo Sibiya