By Nangamso Mabindla
2 September 2004

THE East London Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) received a major boost when Eskom handed over a R26,5-million substation at the West Bank on Wednesday, 1 September.

The substation, a joint venture between Eskom, the IDZ and Buffalo City, is aimed at improving the infrastructure in the city in an effort to lure investors to East London.

Speaking at the official opening of the substation, Eskom Southern Region general manager Peter Craig said they were proud to be part of the team that aimed to bring investors in Buffalo City.

"I hope this station will help draw industrialists to the city. We are also happy to be part of this team that aims to improve lives of the city's citizens," he said, pledging Eskom's commitment to working with both the IDZ and the city.

For the IDZ, the sub-station would assist it to unblock infrastructure bottlenecks in the city.

"With things like these we plan to lure investors and create a platform that is conducive to the demands of the global market," said IDZ CEO Simphiwe Kondlo. "We really are privileged to have an IDZ here in East London."

But for the IDZ to be a success, it needed to have a close working relationship with its partners. "We'd like to thank the municipality and Eskom for assisting us take a huge step towards achieving our goals," Kondlo said.

There was also a link between the planning of the IDZ and the municipal Integrated Development Plan. "Buffalo City is really working with us in our efforts to create an investor-friendly city," he added.

Buffalo City Executive Mayor Sindisile Maclean said the handing over of the sub-station by Eskom was a major step forward in the development of the City.

"It's a good thing when a plan comes together. The handing over of this station is the culmination of four years of hard work in pursuit of crucial development in our city," Maclean said

Development was a major factor in overcoming two of South Africa's greatest challenges; poverty alleviation and job creation. "These forces threaten the quality of all our lives and they decide whether we will have peace and stability."

However, with strong partnerships these could be eliminated. For the IDZ to lure investors and tenants it needed a 20MVA bulk electricity supply which translated to 20 000 kilowatts of electricity.

"With this in mind we approached Eskom - a leader in helping satisfy the needs of energy-intensive industries and establishing new industrial opportunities. That meeting culminated to today's event," Maclean added

The sub-station had ten out-feeders; eight would satisfy the needs of the IDZ, while the other two would supply over 5000 houses in the municipal area on the West Bank. These included 2 500 RDP houses, 100 houses in Airport phase 2 and the rest at Siyakha.

"It will also act as an alternative to the Woodbrook supply, bringing quality service to the West Bank," Maclean concluded.