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The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes government’s decision to approve the first phase of 234 out of 4000 houses in Aggeneys to support the international investment in Vedanta Mine in Gamsberg. This will certainly help to stimulate the economy and generate jobs for the people of the Northern Cape.

Government’s decision, as reported to me this week by MEC of COGHSTA, Bentley Vass, comes after the DA last week raised our serious concerns about the fact that government had been stalling since 2015 on the straightforward rezoning of the land already belonging to Vedanta, for a housing development to support those benefitting from jobs emanating from the mine expansion.

The almost overnight turn-about to grant the go-ahead to proceed with the construction of houses, will do much to compensate for the current lack of accommodation in Aggeneys, given that many people employed on the mines have to travel between 200 km and 140 km to and from Springbok or Pofadder each day, to get to work.

Eskom and other bulk infrastructure related limitations in Pofadder, also do not currently allow for further development in this town rendering the present situation increasingly unsustainable, especially given the massive increase in job opportunities that are due to accompany the mining investment.

We therefore hope that it won’t be long before government gives the further greenlight for the development of the remaining houses also proposed by the mine.

In the meantime, we thank government for finally listening to the pleas of Vedanta Mine, as highlighted during last week’s oversight by the National Council of Province’s (NCOP), as well as the calls of the DA in response to this job-generating crisis.

The DA will continue to push government to bypass the red tape that still hampers economic growth, that has a direct bearing on the lives of the people of the Northern Cape.

Issued by Willie Aucamp, MP - DA Member of the NCOP