Moloko Moloto
ELEVEN Limpopo officials spent R1.9 million during eight days in Italy – but the jaunt produced only a “memoranda of understanding” on how to make juice and how to keep the province’s water clean.
Tourism MEC Pitsi Moloto admitted during an interview that Premier Cassel Mathale’s delegation to Italy had not brought back any immediate benefits, pointing to long-term “agreements”.
Moloto said yesterday the Limpopo government was unapologetic for not bringing back immediate benefits, saying that “investment is like marketing”.
Moloto, however, said the Italians promised to invest their money by building factories that would make juice and tomato paste, and had agreed to import citrus fruit from Limpopo.
However, he would not say when and how these promises would materialise.
Moloto’s Italian promises are nothing new. Since 1994, previous provincial administrations have also promised to build a juicefactory in Limpopo.
Mathale’s delegation, which included 15 business people, visited four Italian cities – Genoa, Reggio Emilia, Ancona and Rome. According to the itinerary, Mathale and his officials had been allocated 10 minutes each in two days to address meetings in Genoa and Ancona.
Moloto said the Italian trip was initiated by Mathale.
The MEC said the Italians were expected to teach Limpopo Business Support Agency officials how to run co-operatives.
The agency is a state-owned agency mandated to give business support to co-operatives and small, medium and micro enterprises. Moloto said after learning from the Italians, the agency officials must teach local business people how to run their businesses efficiently.
But he also could not confirm when and how this would happen. He said Limpopo lacks adequate governance models that are essential to guide co-operatives to run efficiently.
“Because Italy has over 100 years of running co-operatives, they will be able to share that experience with us,” said Moloto.
Moloto also said the city of Polokwane signed a memorandum of understanding with the city of Genoa to help Polokwane upgrade and manage its water-purification systems and water supply. But Moloto would not specifically say how Genoa would help upgrade the water-purification system and why the province specifically sought the Italians’ expertise.
When pressed further, the MEC said: “A memorandum of understanding is the first step, but from there you must have technical teams to focus on it.”
He said Polokwane must appoint technical teams, made up of professionals, to identify specific areas in which the Italians can assist.
Asked if Polokwane lacked competent engineers to do the work, Moloto said: “I don’t think we have more than five engineers in Polokwane, or in any other municipality in the province.”
He said Polokwane’s population has grown, and this has put more strain on its water and sanitation systems.
He referred further queries to Polokwane executive mayor Freddy Greaver, who also accompanied Mathale to Italy. The mayor could not be reached for comment.
In 2007, former president Thabo Mbeki complained about wasteful international trips after a South American country complained about several South African delegation visiting the country on similar missions, and almost at the same time.
Mbeki said after the July lekgotla of that year that the government needed to develop “protocols” to control such visits. But this was not followed through.
Mathale’s trip coincided with ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s holiday in Italy.