DIE Elsenburg Landboukollege is besig met die uitbreiding van die kortkursusse aan plaaswerkers, hulpbronbeperkte boere en begunstigdes van die nasionale grondhervormingsplan, met die doel om in die vaardigheidsbehoeftes wat in die mark bestaan, te voorsien. 

"Kursusse kan op 'n gedesentraliseerde basis op plase en in landelike gemeenskappe aangebied word, asook gesentraliseerd op die Elsenburgkampus, afhangende van die behoefte," verduidelik Marius Paulse, Direkteur: Opleiding en Kollegehoof.

'n Minimum van 12 en 'n maksimum van 15 leerders word verwag per kursusaanbieding. In uitsonderlike gevalle kan groter groepe geakkommodeer word vir die teoretiese gedeelte van die aanbieding.

Die praktiese gedeelte van die aanbieding word, sover moontlik, pas gemaak vir elke werkgewer se unieke boerderyomstandighede sodat studente werklik die aangeleerde vaardigheid kan toepas in sy werk. Dit word gedoen in oorleg met die plaasbestuur en die betrokke voorligters/konsultante.  

Die aanvraag uit die mark kan daartoe lei dat ander kortkursusse ook ontwikkel word wat aan die kwaliteitstandaarde moet voldoen. 

Die koste van 'n kursus beloop R50 per dag per persoon vir kursusse weg van Elsenburg en R85 per dag per persoon vir kursusse te Elsenburg, etes ingesluit. Oornagkoste te Elsenburg, indien beskikbaar, beloop R35 per persoon per nag.

Kortkursusse wat te Elsenburg aangebied word in die volgende twee maande is Boogsweis (8-10 Mei), Dele en Werking van die Wingerdstok op 7 Mei, Dele en Werking van die Vrugteboom op 8 Mei, Snoei van die Wingerd (14-15 Mei, 21-22 Mei, 11-12 Junie, 18-19 Junie, 2-3 Julie), Snoei van Kernvrugtebome 4-5 Junie en AVCASA (verantwoordelike gifstofhantering) op 25 Junie.

Navrae kan gerig word aan Jackie Beerwinkel by tel 808-5018 of faks 884 4319 of e-pos jackieb@wcape.agric.za.

SOUTH AFRICA offers very exciting investment and development opportunities, says the head of the big Malaysian company which is developing the Pearl Valley Golf Estate near Paarl, Abdul Rahman Ahmad.

"South Africans are too often inclined to play down the very substantial progress the country's economy has made in the relatively short time since universal suffrage in 1994," says Ahmad, CEO of global Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), who has been spending time at the group's R1,5 billion investment at Pearl Valley.

The project to develop 170 hectares of the former Safariland game park into a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Estate and Spa with low density property development of 320 homes, is forging ahead.

It is designed to be one of South Africa's must-have leisure and property developments with property appeal and on completion will reflect a total investment of R1,5 billion.

But, says Ahmad, this may only be the first of what he believes will ultimately be a string of investment opportunities in emerging countries like South Africa, open to the M$1 billion Malaysian-listed company.

"South Africa has performed well in a very difficult international economy and while the Rand has suffered against the US dollar, it certainly doesn't stand alone in this regard. 

"The country offers very exciting investment and development opportunities, and, with its strong economic fundamentals, is able to face the global slowdown with more confidence, and from a more assured position of stability, than almost any other emerging economy.

MRCB is heavily involved in property and infrastructure development. It also has a strong-performing multimedia division, which has its origins in the company's development some years ago of IT for the government department of human resource development.

In addition to this, it also owns the New Straits Times and TV3, Malaysia's largest privately controlled TV station.

MRCB is determined to go global, and with its investments in Malaysia and now South Africa, the company will continue to look for expansion opportunities within its core competence area.

THE survival of Drakenstein is at stake and the private sector's help is required, said Jean Smit, Speaker of the Drakenstein Town Council, at last week's economic summit in Wellington.

"Drakenstein Municipality does not have unlimited resources available. To tell you the truth, it is actually impossible to address all pressure groups' expectations and demands.

"Drakenstein Municipality thus needs partners urgently and the private sector is a partner we can't do without."

He welcomed the more than hundred members of the business sector, community leaders, councillors and officials, saying the summit was necessary to formulate a strategy whereby the different roleplayers define an economic policy with specific outcomes for Drakenstein.

Tony Koekemoer, responsible for New Businesses at Absa, opened the summit with an overview of the importance of economic development in the South African context.

He was followed by Prof Wolfgang Thomas of Wesgro, who emphasised the importance of economic development in the Drakenstein context.

He described Drakenstein as one of the privileged areas in the country with a well- developed physical infrastructure with excellent opportunities in the sectors retail, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, recreation and services.

But there are great socio-economic challenges waiting, such as the need for black economic empowerment, small-business involvement and growth, literacy and skills training, township upgrading, job creation and social integration to alleviate poverty.

Opportunities for development and investment lie in low-cost housing, township tourism facilities and business opportunities including direct foreign investment.

Johan Ackron from the Stellenbosch University School of Public Management and Planning, said the awakening of interest in local economic development (LED) was based on emerging consensus that economic development is much more than merely the expansion of aggregate income and wealth.

"It is a matter of how that growth is generated, who participates in economic processes and where its benefits are ultimately bestowed if economic growth is to translate into social benefits for the community at large.

"How projects and developmental initiatives are undertaken, and by whom, are in the final analysis just as important as what is delivered.

"It is important to recognise that the LED approach encompasses a process driven by local community stakeholders in which local resources, skills and initiative are combined with external developmental impetus to stimulate economic growth.

Discussion

"The specific aim must be the creation of sustainable local employment opportunities, the alleviation of local poverty and the equitable redistribution of resources and opportunities to the benefit of all local residents

Following group discussion around problems and solutions concerning infrastructure, public/private partnerships, marketing, uplifting of rural areas, tourism and urban regeneration, the meeting unanimously agreed that a permanent LED Forum for Drakenstein was a necessity. They also felt the need for a central databasis and research, which could lead to a better utilisation of resources.

Partnership between Council, NGO's and other sectors were discussed at length, as well as outsourcing of non-core functions. The need for a skills development strategy got attention, together with stimulation of job creation.

Delegates felt Drakenstein needed branding and when marketing the Municipality, the target market should be identified.

Delegates felt that local government should create a climate and environment to attract the right people, building on current assets.

A report on the summit will now be processed by the relevant Council committees before a plan of action is formulated.

SAGUS, 'n sentrum vir taal en kommunikasie aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, bied vanjaar 'n nuwe reeks werkswinkels aan. 

Hierdie werkswinkels vir Effektiewe Korporatiewe Dokumente is gerig op enige persoon wat binne 'n korporatiewe omgewing dokumente moet skryf of verwerk, onder andere inligtingsbeamptes, skakelbeamptes, taalpraktisyns, bemarkers en kopieskrywers.

Die SA regering plaas tans 'n hoë premie op opleiding, waarvolgens maatskappye en instansies verplig word om die opleiding van personeel as 'n prioriteit te beskou. 

Kontak Emma Burger vir volledige inligting oor die werkswinkels, asook inskrywingsvorms, 808-2167, e-pos by eburger@sun.ac.za of faks 808-3815. Besoek die webwerf by http://www.sun.ac.za/sagus/EffekDok.htm.

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