By Nangamso Mabindla
19 May 2005

DEVELOPING small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the impoverished township is one of the focuses of the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme.

The programme is a presidential initiative that aims to improve living conditions in Mdantsane, and so change the face of the township. The City is already conducting research on the number of SMMEs in Mdantsane.

Project manager Riana Pretorious said the research would also help the City find ways it could work with emerging businesses in the township.

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism already has given R6,8-million towards a greening project earmarked for the central business district. "This is where we will start looking at whether emerging businesses in Mdantsane will be able to handle such a project," Pretorious said.

It would improve urban agriculture and encourage the community to initiate food gardens. "We will also start capacity building initiatives and assist in training some of these emerging businesses. We would like to include the local people in changing the face of Mdantsane."

Emerging businesses have been used already in some of the projects initiative through the Urban Renewal Programme. Emerging contractors were used during the refurbishment of the Highway Rank in the CBD and during the construction of housing in NU11.

"The Department of Roads and Public Works has allocated R8-million which will be used for the construction of new roads in NU15. Here we would like to have at least two emerging contractors and an established one to oversee the whole project," Pretorious said.

The City was also looking at capacity building programmes for the greater community.

"We would like to make provision for learnership and internship programmes, where we place young graduates on a one-year programme with the Urban Renewal Programme," Pretorious said.

These programmes would expose the graduates to the working world. "The beauty of this is that we will also include disabled people in our programmes. We want everyone in Mdantsane to be part of the plan to improve their township."

The Mdantsane One Stop Centre is already used to assist emerging enterprises learn about business.