Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

Investment

Eden DM engaging with B-Municipalities to prepare for the Garden Route Investment Conference

Engagements with Municipalities in the Eden district is currently underway. The purpose of these sessions is to ensure that all Municipalities are ready for the upcoming Investment Conference and at the same time, to strengthen relations with the B-municipalities in the Eden district.

The first session took place in Hessequa on Wednesday, 23 January 2018 and soon after the Kannaland session followed.

The Eden DM and Hessequa delegations during the 1st session held in Riversdale.

During these sessions the Executive Mayor of Eden District Municipality (Eden DM), Cllr Memory Booysen, emphasised his willingness to strengthen relations with the B-Municipalities. “Not only formal structures such as forums should be used to discuss matters of mutual interest. We should be open for assistance at any given time as the need arises,” Mayor Booysen said at the engagement in Hessequa. Mayor Booysen also gave an update of the name change process of Eden DM and also explained how the name change will be of benefit to the identity of the district.

At the session in Kannaland, Executive Mayor of Kannaland Municipality, Cllr Magdalene Barry, welcomed the willingness of the Eden delegation to meet with Kannaland and commended the team for their efforts to enhance the economy of the district, with reference to the Skills Summit and Investment Conference. The Kannaland delegation made sure that they fully inform the Eden DM delegation of the lack of capacity and resources that the municipality is currently confronted with, but at the same time Mayor Barry praised the Kannaland officials for what they have achieved in such a short period of time, especially with reference to their Eskom bill that was recently fully settled.

Eden DM Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen (left) and Executive Mayor of Kannaland, Cllr Magdalene Barry during the session held in Ladismith.

Furthermore Mayor Booysen requests municipalities to ensure that when they attend the Conference, they be fully prepared with their product offerings. “We will require all municipalities to provide information on what their area can offer to investors by showcasing specific offerings.”

The sessions will be finalised during the second week of February.

Swedish Delegation explores potential investment opportunities in the Eden district

A group of Sweden delegates, on Tuesday, 5 December 2017, visited the Eden District Municipality (Eden DM) satellite office in Mossel Bay, to discuss the progress of the Regional Landfill Facility that is now in the final stage until the operation.  The aim of these deliberations was to sketch a clear picture of the Landfill Facility to the visitors and unlock potential investment opportunities.

The group, together with representatives from Business Sweden (CEB, Johannesburg) and Greencape (Cape Town), South Cape Economic Partnership, as well as Eden District Municipality and Mossel Bay Municipality after the formal discussions in front of the Eden District Municipality satellite office in Mossel Bay.

Mr Morton Hubbe, Manager of District Waste Management at Eden DM, took them through the approval process followed, the layout and progress made to date with the development of the Landfill Facility. The short and long-term development and management activities at the landfill facility were also discussed with the delegation.

According to Mr Hubbe, Eden DM has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with USAID: SA LED to assist them with a study on the availability and composition of Biomass feedstock in the Eden DM area and to identify feasible and cost-effective alternatives to manage this, rather than taking it to landfill sites to be landfilled. “Problem waste lines that will be included in this study are abattoir waste, wood waste, green waste and sewage sludge,” Mr Hubbe said.

As soon as the Biomass Report is finalised and made available during February next year, these potential investors will also be allowed to examine its content, before making an informed decision on their possible future commitment towards the project.

During the discussions relating to the Eden district Regional Landfill Facility, are representatives from Cortus Energy, Ecopar and the South Cape Economic Partnership.

In a press statement issued on 7 July this year, Western Cape MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Minister Anton Bredell, said that the project is a top priority because an existing contract with PetroSA, which allows municipalities to dispose waste at the PetroSA facility ends on 31 July 2018.

The delegation was represented by officials from Cortus Energy, Ecopar and Business Sweden (CEB) and  are currently visiting various organisations within the Eden district, such as MTO Forestry, PetroSA, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, SANParks, Transnet, Portnet, the National Port Authority, Airports Company of South Africa etc.  Mr. Jarrod Lyons, a  representative from Greencape (Cape Town) and Mr Shaan Padayachy from Business Sweden (Johannesburg), also accompanied the delegation throughout their itinerary, as well as officials from Eden District and Mossel Bay Municipalities. Mr Paul Hoffman, from the South Cape Economic Partnership, coordinated the visit.

Eden DM, using its mandate, will continue to engage with relevant role-players and use every single platform to address challenges relating to the finalisation of the process, to ensure that the Landfill Facility gets off the ground before its envisaged launch date.