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Mangaung on the move

At a stylish event held in the Reservoir conference hall of Oliewenhuis Museum in Bloemfontein, the Mangaung Local Municipality launched it's Economic Development Strategy (EDS), aimed at transforming the aspirant metropole into a powerful economic hub that caters sufficiently for the employment and income needs of its people. The vision is for Mangaung to become “a world class African city that is built on the foundation of an inclusive, dynamic, vibrant, sustainable and investor friendly economy.”
The presentation at the launch, including the published hard copy of the EDS, drew favourable comments from those present. The executive director of the Bloemfontein Chamber for Trade & Industry, Mr. Coenie Nolte, the director of the UFS Centre for Development Support, Prof. Lucius Botes and Mr. Lullu de Jager of Agriculture Free State, were amongst those expressing to the Free State Business Bulletin their upbeatness about the Strategy.
However, by all accounts the acid test will come at the implementation stage, for the strategy has to translate into significant job opportunities and economic progress. As the Executive Mayor of Mangaung, Mr. Pappie Mokoena, righfully remarked in his speech at the launch: “The difference between success and failure is often momentum”. The General Manager of the LED Unit of the Mangaung Municipality, which is primarily responsible for the Strategy, Ms. Diane Abrahams, told the Free State Business Bulletin: "We need partners to committ themselves in terms of resources and capacity to successfully implement this strategy. Stakeholders, especially the business sector, must come onboard and help us to make this strategy work. It is simply in the interest of everyone in Mangaung. We are open to any proposals for partnership, while an excellent opportunity for partnering has been set up with the Business Plan & Partnership Workshop to be held 15 July 2004 at the Bram Fischer Centre, Bloemfontein”.
Present at the launch on the photo above, were from left Mr. Jeff Bakken (USAid), Ms. Diane Abrahams (GM: Economic Dev, Mangaung Municipality), Messrs. Pappie Mokoena (Executive Mayor of Mangaung), Lullu de Jager (Free State Agriculture), T. Ramanamane (Dept. of Agriculture) and Judex Oberholzer (Urban-Econ Consultants).
For further information, Ms. Abrahams can be contacted at (051) 405 8753 or diane@civic.mangaung.co.za