Contracts in the Coega IDZ worth R13,5-million were awarded yesterday under the Expanded Public Works Programme to 10 emerging contractors.

This is part of Phase 2 of Coega’s two-year EPWP programme that saw 30 construction learnerships undertaken since April this year when the project was first introduced.

Under this programme, 10 companies with three learners each underwent training and were then each awarded contracts worth about R500 000.

The contractors were presented with certificates yesterday by Deputy Public Works Minister Ntopile Kganyago and Eastern Cape Public Works MEC Christian Martin for completing the initial phases of the learnership.

The officials then took part in a sod-turning to mark the start of the second phase.

The contractors will undertake water, sewerage and stormwater infrastructure projects valued at an average of R1,39-million each. The infrastructure is to provide services to tenants’ sites from the bulk infrastructure, which was completed last month.

Martin called yesterday’s event a “historic juncture” that marked a new and innovative way to train and educate the country’s unemployed.

“Most of the young lions here today come from homes where they know hunger and poverty. We have seen the rise over the years of a new breed of young entrepreneurs arising from poverty and reaching the ultimate goals,” Martin said.

“We are devoting today after months of intensive training. I sense an eagerness to go out and start reaching for your dreams and I would encourage you that you must have dreams. The graduates here today are the new capitalists of industry.”

Coega infrastructure development manager Brigitte Gasa said the contractors had already started on the projects, which were expected to be completed by the end of March.

She said the new contracts would not necessarily result in many more new jobs created, as the programme aimed at this stage to develop skills and businesses.

Martin said the EPWP – which aimed to create a million jobs countrywide over five years – had created 3 500 jobs and 305 learnerships so far in the province.
The target for the Eastern Cape is 200 000 jobs over the five years.

He was confident this target would be met, saying infrastructure development would drive this process, and that his department had buy-in from other government departments and local authorities.