Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane has accused the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) of poor implementation in its Special Economic Zone project. Maimane says the government entity that is spearheading development of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone, is biased towards companies owned by politicians.
Chinese investors have pledged an investment of 10 billion US dollars for the project. Maimane was addressing DA supporters in Polokwane.
“So who does Limpopo and LEDA work for? Almost every project is conceived because it offers opportunities for certain people to make money when they create an SEZ (Special Economic Zone) they don’t create it for the people they create it for the politician so rather than calling them special economic zones let us call them SPZ, special political zones.”
Maimane says they have requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to explain reasons behind some of the investments. “They are already holding an investment summit in Sandton, here is my problem though, when China comes to invest as they have invested in Limpopo. I asked President Ramaphosa in Parliament, I said where are the terms and references of all these loans?
