KWADUKUZA: On Monday 26 June 2023, the MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works Honourable Sipho "KK" Nkosi together with KwaDukuza Mayor Cllr Lindile Nhaca joined forces to ensure that, the KwaDukuza Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (KYEEP) becomes a huge success.
Third from left, MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, Mr Sipho “KK” Nkosi, (far left) Cllr Njabulo Cele of KwaDukuza Municipality, KwaDukuza Mayor, Cllr Lindile Nhaca, Speaker: Cllr Dolly Govender, Senior Managers representing the KZN Department of Public Works are, Deputy-Director General, Corporate Services Mr Phiweyo Duma, Chief Director: Expanded Public Works Programme, Mr Bongani Dlamini
As part of youth month celebrations, various strategic government Departments were afforded an opportunity to make highly-informative presentations and also cascade relevant government information to the youth as intended recipients earmarked for business opportunities and access to funding where applicable.
Delegates who attended a-day long programme held at the KwaDukuza Town Hall were encouraged to partner with government through progressive youth formations and also woo private institutions to come on board and provide economic interventions where possible.
The KZN Department of Public Works (DPW) is fully behind the establishment of a One-Stop Shop with an intention to favour the general electorate with seamless access to government services. In his address, MEC Nkosi hailed the Mayor of KwaDukuza Municipality for being part of this engagement held during the Youth Month, June with special emphasis on economic opportunities for youth emerging contractors.
The current government is rolling out direct services to multi- racial communities across the country. Therefore, the DPW and its strategic partners are propelled to move with speed in an endeavor to address socio-economic challenges and unemployment in the province for the benefit of beneficiaries under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and emerging contractors alike.
It also emerged that, government has a mandate to create an enabling environment for youth to gain uninterrupted access to any funding set aside specifically for that particular purpose. The MEC also encouraged the local youth to formalize their business enterprises so that government may be able to relax red tapes and unblock bottlenecks which seem to hinder service delivery.
The meeting heard that senior managers from the DPW are working around the clock to establish a Youth Directorate which will oversee genuine concerns raised for implementation during future stakeholders' engagements of this nature.
Presentations which formed part of today's proceedings were presented by representatives from the Departments of Human Settlements, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA), Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and KwaDukuza Municipality respectively.