After the storm, Phikwe Show revives the town
Onalenna Kelebeile | Tuesday August 15, 2017 17:18
Local authorities this year revived the trade and exhibition show that was last held 14 years ago. It collapsed due to lack of sponsorship, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in the region and reluctance by the community and stakeholders to participate.
This year, SPEDU and the Selebi-Phikwe Town Council worked together to revive the show. The two stakeholders will also sign a Memorandum of Agreement to work together in all efforts to diversify the town’s economy.
A master plan for the show is currently being drawn as well as the expansion plan for the showground from 8.4 hectares to 84 hectares (ha) The master plan is expected to facilitate future planning and funding of the showground.
Organising committee chairperson, Sandra Hughes said they intend to use the 8.4 ha showground as a vital resource to revive and stimulate the local economic growth. She said they are determined to diversify the local and the regional economy hence they intend to turn the Selebi-Phikwe show into a regional one where exhibitors from other shows within the SPEDU region could come and exhibit.
“As a long term vision we want to develop a state-of-the-art facility that would host activities all year round,” she said. Hughes said the commitment to revive the economy has been evidenced by the achievements made within a short period of time that they prepared for the show. Hughes added that the showground presents a good economic opportunity, hence with a collective by stakeholders, Selebi-Phikwe will bounce back to glory.
The show comes immediately after the mine closure last year hence the Mayor, Molosiwa Molosiwa said it is necessary to breath life into the town. He said the mine closure means that stakeholders should now look into other avenues to revive the town’s economy instead of despairing on the mine closure. “Let us stand firm and dream positively. At the moment, life should not be about BCL or when it would be opened but it should be about what we are doing to survive without the mine,” he said.
Debswana Mines Senior Security Officer, Augustine Nyatanga said though persistent drought in the regions, FMD outbreaks and lack of sponsorship are reasons enough to have collapsed the show 14 years ago, this should not defeat the purpose of reviving the economy through exhibition shows. He said residents have the responsibility to participate in ensuring that the region revitilises and assumes a vibrant economic status. He encouraged the community not to run away, but take part in the revitalisation journey. He implored them to make use of opportunities available and utilise government programmes. “Institutions like Citizen Entreprenuership Development Agency have committed to ensuring a shortened turnaround time if a client provides all the necessary documentation.
Own up to this show and make sure that it becomes sustainable and avoid over-reliance on government,” he said. Nyatanga said Debswana has in the past contributed significantly to the shows countrywide and that the company encourages competitive prizes to be paid to the winners. “We have contributed towards infrastructure development in some show grounds and we still have an obligation to assist where there is a need,” he added. He noted that the government has adopted a revitalisation strategy for the region to stimulate the economy and also to ensure the continuity of business in the region.
The strategy is anchored on strategic infrastructure, agribusiness, tourism, manufacturing and industry projects. Nyatanga said the aim is for these projects to create employment and also bring investment for long-term sustainability. The revitalisation strategy aims to create about 7,000 jobs in a period of five years. He highlighted that this year government introduced some incentives to attract investment in the region and said though they are still in the process of implementation, they are intended to ease the doing of business in the region by making the business climate conducive and attractive. The incentives include the introduction of a five percent corporate tax for new companies setting up for the first five years and then 10% in the next 10 years. There also will be a rebate on the purchase of production inputs from outside the country.