Plans to overhaul small harbours at St Helena Bay and Saldanha Bay to boost economic growth in the area are in the pipeline.
In an oversight visit to the harbours on Tuesday, Cape Town officials witnessed the extent of neglect at the harbours.
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, and Saldanha Bay Mayor Andre Truter committed to working together to redevelop the harbours.
The two small harbours, which are owned and managed by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, have over the years fallen into a state of disrepair, often attracting criminal activity and deterring investment in surrounding communities.
In line with the commitments made during his State of the Nation Address (Sona) reply in Parliament a month ago, Macpherson said he would instruct departmental officials to develop a master plan for the small harbours to ensure they contribute to the Saldanha Bay economy through fishing and tourism development.
Minister Macpherson said the harbours should become economic engines for their communities, creating much-needed jobs.
He said the harbours should become economic engines for their communities, creating much-needed jobs.
“In a similar way that the V&A Waterfront stands as a prime example of how harbours can be used to attract investment and create thousands of jobs, we believe small harbours such as St Helena Bay and Saldanha Bay should be redeveloped to become economic engines for their communities,” he said.
“The V&A Waterfront has helped create over 60,000 jobs, and we believe this level of success can be replicated across the country—creating jobs for communities such as Saldanha Bay,” Macpherson said.
Mayor Truter welcomed the commitment by Macpherson, and stated the engagement on Tuesday was ‘extremely positive’ and demonstrated a clear focus on action and timelines.
“Working with a Minister who knows what needs to be done and how to get it done is refreshing. Minister Macpherson has drawn a line in the sand regarding implementation timelines, and as Saldanha Bay Municipality, we look forward to embarking on this journey with the Minister and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure,” Truter said.