Isikhulu se-Ithala senaba ngezinhlelo zokufukula aboHlanga
Omunye wemisebenzi emikhulu yanoma yimuphi uhulumeni ukuthuthukisa ezomnotho. Enye yezinkampani zikahulumeni ezitheswe lelijoka yi-Ithala Development Finance Corporation, kuqala eyayaziwa ngele KwaZulu Finance Corporation. Elabohlanga lihlale phansi neGroup Chief Executive Officer, uPearl Bengu (osesithombeni) engxoxweni ekhethekile.
ElaboHlanga: Nkk Bengu, awusichazele ngesimiso seThala.
Nkk Pearl Bengu (PB): Ithala Development Finance Corporation iyinkampani eyasungulelwa ukuxhasa abohlanga ukuze baqale futhi bathuthukise amabhizinisi. Inezingxenye ezahlukene okungeyokulekelela osomabhizinisi ngezimali, eyezakhiwo lapho amabhizinisi nezimboni zenza umsebenzi wazo, kanye ne-Implementing Agency esenza ngayo imiklamo yeminyango yahulumeni efuna ukuphuthumisa imiklamo yayo ngendlela eyongayo nesheshayo
ElaboHlanga: Kukhona yini ukungenelela okwenziwa yiThala ukusiza osomabhizinisi abasemabhukwini alo njengoba kube khona ukhuvethe, izibhelu nezikhukhula
PB: Osomabhizinisi abancane abaphazanyiswa wukhuvethe sabanika ipayment holiday lapho babengakhokhi izinyanga eziyi-6 ukuze bathathe amandla basimamise amabhizinisi abo. Kuthe noma sekufanele baqale ukukhokha abanye bangakwazi. Sase siqala phansi ama-akhawunti abo ukuze basizakale. Sakwazi nokweluleka amabhizinisi ukuthi enze imisebenzi eyahlukene ukuze asimame.
Ngezikhathi zezibhelu izakhiwo zethu eziyimboni kanye nezinxanxathela zezitolo zakhahlamezeka kakhulu. Nalapha sabalinda bangakhokha izinyanga eziyisithupha kanti abanye sahlela izikweletu zabo kabusha. Izikhukhula zachaphazela kakhulu labo ababoleke imali yokuthenga amapulazi njengoba inqalasizinda yabe isigugulekile, ikakhulukazi laba abalimi bomoba. Sabakhuthaza nokuthi balime nezinye izinhlobo khona kuzoba ngcono ngakwinzuzo njengoba izitolo ezinkulu sezizimisele ukuthenga nakubalimi abancane. Asigcinanga ngokubakhuthaza ukuthi balime okunye kepha sathumela nongoti ukuze babaluleke.
Ezinye izitshalo abangene kuzona sibala amakinati, ijinja, nezinye. Saphinde sasiza osomabhizinisi abachaphazelekile abangamakhasimende ethu ukuthi basebenzise izakhiwo zethu okwesikhashana. Nalabo ababengewona amakhasimende ethu abachaphazelekile sabalekelela ngokukhoselisa amabhizinisi abo ezakhiweni zethu.
ElaboHlanga: Lukhona uhlelo eniziqhenya ngalo ukuthi luzokwenza umehluko omkhulu?
PB: Ukwakhiwa kabusha kwesizinda sethu saseNewcastle kunemisebenzi eyizinkulungwane ezi-3 ezobuya. Akukhona eNewcastle kuphela, sizovuselela zonke izindawo ezashiswa noma zalimala ngezibhelu. Lokho kusho ukwengezeka kweminye imisebenzi.
ElaboHlanga: Ngabe zikhona izinhlelo zokubambisana nezinye izinhlaka kulempi yokuthuthukiswa komnotho?
PB: Yebo sinezivumelwano eziningi nezinkampani nezinhlangano ezifana neSouth African Farmers Development Association, SAPPI, Mondi noMgeni Water. Ukucaphuna nje isivumelwano sethu neSAFDA simayelana nokuvuselelwa kwamapulazi asewile noma axhugelayo. Ithala lifaka imali yokubolekwa, iSAFDA ifake imali eyigranti kanye nezeluleko zongoti kwezolimo. Ithala liphinde lihlinzeke ngongoti bezokuphathwa kwamabhizinisi. Osomabhizinisi abanikwe imisebenzi yiSAPPI, Mondi, no-Umgeni Water bangeza kithina sibasize ngemali yokwenza leyo misebenzi.
ElaboHlanga: Nithini ngentsha njengoba isimo sayo sisibi kangaka?
PB: Sihlaba ikhwelo lokuthi baqale amabhizinisi njengoba isimo semisebenzi sintengantenga kanje. Sinanohlelo lokukhuthaza intsha ukuthi ibe ngosomabhizinisi elibizwa Inkunzi Isematholeni. Ngaloluhlelo sihambela zonke izifunda zaKwaZulu Natal.
ElaboHlanga: Kunokukhazeka ukuthi abesibhuda abagcini ngokuhlukunyezwa ngenxa yebala kepha nangokobulili. Ngakwezomnotho basalele emuva. Nithini ngabo?
PB: Siyi-IDFC sinohlelo lwMasakhe esilusungulele intsha, abesibhuda nabaphila nokukhubazeka. Ngonyaka odlule besifake R114m kulesisikhwama. Ingxenye enkulu iya kwabesibhuda. Siphinde sibe nohlelo Imbokodo Iyazenzela lapho khona sihlomisa abesibhuda ngamakhono nolwazi lokuphatha amabhizinisi.
ElaboHlanga: Izindawo zasemakhaya namalokishi kwakuhloswe ukuthi kube yizindawo zokulahla abantu ukuze basebenzele ukusimamisa ubandlululo benganakekelwe. I-IDFC yenzani ngalezizindawo
PB: Sithumele onjiniyela ukuthi baseluleke ngokuvuselela izakhiwo zethu kulezizindawo. Nosomabhizinisi sibakhuthaza ukuthi benze izethulo ngokuthi bangenzani ngalezo zindawo zethu ezingasasebenzi nhlobo. Isibonelo nje ukuthi Kwamashu kunezitshalo ezifakwe endaweni yethu ebingasasebenzi. Sizoqhubeka sivuselele zonke izakhiwo zethu emalokishini nasezindaweni zasemakhaya.