Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies on Monday notified the public and interested parties of his intention to designate the Bojanala Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
The public and interested parties will have 30 days from the date of the publication of the notice in the Government Gazette to support or object to the intended designation.
Davies said the designation of the SEZ would afford the Bojanala region with an opportunity for developing a purposeful, world-class mineral beneficiation infrastructure.
This will, in turn, go a long way in ensuring that the economic value, and associated economic opportunities, of mineral endowments that abound in the Bushveld Complex are fully optimised.
“The proposed SEZ will play a catalytic role towards the economic revival and industrial diversification of the mineral dependent Bojanala region. More importantly, this development is expected to contribute towards strengthening South Africa’s international trade through the export of value-added commodities, the creation of stronger value chains and the provision of much-needed jobs in the previously disadvantaged regions,” Davies commented.
The proposed SEZ will be developed over a 1 175 ha area and will include the old Bodirelo industrial park in Mogwase, in the Moses Kotane local municipality.
The SEZ will focus largely on mineral beneficiation of especially platinum group metals; manufacturing, including that of mining capital equipment; agroprocessing; and renewable energy.