Cape Town executive mayor, Patricia de Lille, and Western Cape MEC for Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, have issued a joint statement calling on residents and stakeholders to support the declaration of Atlantis as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
In a statement released yesterday (Sunday), de Lille noted that stakeholders would be able to do so through public comment which was opened by minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, on Friday following the declaration of Atlantis as an SEZ.
“This is an important milestone in the development of the SEZ in Atlantis, we know the SEZ will deliver an economic boost to Atlantis and the Western Cape,” said Winde.
De Lille pointed out that the designation of Atlantis as an SEZ would boost investment and job creation which is much needed in the area.
“The history of Atlantis has been marked by economic despair when residents were placed on the outskirts of the city by the apartheid government, during that time many companies were incentivised to open operations in the area,” said de Lille. “However, with the global economic recession in 2008, many companies closed down causing widespread job losses.”
Winde emphasised the importance of the Atlantis SEZ by highlighting that it had already attracted major investments to the value of R680 million from just five investors and that R1.8 billion in investment is anticipated before 2022 which would result in the creation of around 1200 direct jobs.
