The Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) was invited by the Office of the Premier to a Stakeholder Engagement Session on Economic Development and Tourism in Mpumalanga. Government departments, mining companies and business organisations all showed up to talk about the province’s future.
None of the Executive Directors or other senior managers of the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality attended; the only attendee was Mike Nkosi, Assistant Director LED, who represented the municipality. Was this another dismissal by STLM officials of business’ concerns?
Why This Matters More Than It Sounds
Provincial officials spent the session on big-picture issues: a 63% road infrastructure backlog, reviving rail freight, agricultural support programmes, tourism development, and steel-sector beneficiation. All real, all important.
But none of it addresses what keeps Middelburg businesses up at night: unreliable water, electricity problems, refuse removal, crumbling local roads, and property transactions that crawl through municipal red tape. These services are STLM’s responsibility. Property delays alone should worry anyone thinking about investing here. Every stalled approval is a cost, and every cost is a reason to invest elsewhere.
A Long List, One Missing Voice
Many issues were raised: youth unemployment, SMME access to supply chains, mining transparency, the taxi industry dispute, signage for Middelburg, and the future of the old hospital site. All legitimate concerns. Yet each one ultimately runs into the same obstacle: a municipality that isn’t showing up to engage, explain, or commit.
MCCI is not interested in blame. We’re interested in solutions. And right now, no one at the municipal level is willing to provide assistance. Instead, they have been quoted as saying business is incompetent.
What Happens Next Is the Real Test
The session ended with the usual commitments: share the presentations, look into land claims, keep in touch with mining companies, revisit the hospital site. Fine words. But businesses don’t measure government by what’s promised in a meeting; they measure it by what changes afterwards.
Are the roads being repaired? Are property transactions moving faster? Is anyone from the municipality picking up the phone?
Mpumalanga has real potential: mining, agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. Middelburg has real potential too. Without a functioning and engaged local government committed to the business community, our growth rate will continue to decrease.
The business community is prepared to work, contribute, and partner for progress. We call on the municipality to move beyond attendance and demonstrate active leadership, commitment, and accountability at the table.