After nearly a year of private meetings and strategy sessions, the Border Kei Chamber of Business and aligned groups of members, with support from the Buffalo City metro municipality, signed the Leadership Compact at a ceremony at the Regent Hotel in East London.
The purpose of the Leadership Compact Agreement is to foster collaboration, build mutual understanding and create shared ownership of the key initiatives that will shape the future of Buffalo City.
Mayor Princess Faku said she was both thrilled and excited that the compact had come to fruition.
“Today I am surrounded [gesturing around the meeting room] by the people that launched this initiative, those women and men who had served in the different fields of business to get this compact to the signing stage.”
The partnership was formally initiated through a multidisciplinary stakeholder engagement on October 4, which was previously driven for nearly a year by the private sector.
The chamber brought together various stakeholders to discuss ways to improve the metro’s economic performance.
In her keynote address, Faku said: “Today marks a significant moment as we gather for the Leadership Compact signing ceremony, aimed at building a city where we can live, work and invest.
“We are [committed to] supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the city, working together with business.
“Normally business and government work in different directions — but business and government will work together to go out and get investment in the different sectors.”
She said through this process, the city had identified the critical sectors that would drive economic growth, job creation and socioeconomic development in Buffalo City.
“These sectors offer the greatest potential to retain and grow existing businesses, attract new investment and contribute to the overall upliftment of our communities.
These include:
• Auto/manufacturing;
• Tourism;
• Agro processing; and
• SMMEs (small, medium, and micro enterprises).
“This is truly a proud occasion. Together, we have taken a bold step towards creating a functional city that serves as a beacon of hope for all its citizens,” Faku said.
“Today, we witness a pivotal moment in our collective efforts to transform our city into a dynamic hub of opportunity and prosperity.”
She highlighted the metro’s commitment to the expansion and development of the Port of East London, saying that “we are deeply invested in the growth and development of the Port of East London”.
Faku noted that ongoing discussions between the city and Transnet Port Authority were progressing well, demonstrating the city’s dedication to unlocking the port’s full potential.
“Today marks the culmination of an intensive consultation process aimed at building consensus on key strategic areas of focus.”
She said that when they met at the East London Golf Course recently, where they acknowledged the frustration felt by residents about the state of the city’s road network, they had announced the establishment of a War Room, which was actively addressing potholes.
“Significant progress has been made across the city to fix these potholes, and this work continues,” Faku said.
Additionally, she highlighted that they were engaging with the provincial department of transport to address provincial roads.
“In closing, I want to emphasise that we are making decisive strides towards building a functional and sustainable city that can meet its constitutional obligations and create the environment necessary for investment and growth.
“We are actively working to stimulate development, combat poverty and create job opportunities for our people,” Faku said.
Chamber executive director Lizelle Maurice said the compact would lift the city to a level of excellence with business and BCM working together.
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