Buffalo City Metro (BCM) aims to have its revived development agency up and running by July this year.
This according to newly appointed Buffalo City Development Agency (BCDA) CEO Gcinumzi Qotywa. The BCDA was revived last year by executive mayor Alfred Mtsi.
The BCDA became defunct in 2009 when the entire board resigned due to a “breakdown in communication”, apparently between board members and then mayor Zukiswa Faku.
Late last year, during a media briefing, Mtsi announced that the exercise to revive the agency had already started. He said it will see the agency’s scope being extended to cover the dilapidated inner city.
“The initial mandate was to develop the beachfront, but we were saying that was not enough. We are considering expanding the scope of their work to the inner city development. But beyond that we are looking at a broader scope of developing the metro,” said Mtsi.
Qotywa, in an article published on the Buffalo City Metro website, said the agency aimed to attract investors and increase economic growth through tourism, economic and social development and property management and commercialisation.
According to the BCM website, the agency has a board, appointed in 2014 by the city council.
Qotywa said the agency has four goals that include improving the numbers of tourists and revenue spent by tourists.
“Through working with the metro’s existing tourism department, the agency is set to develop systems that will ensure that we track the number of tourists that come to the city.
“We will run promotions that will ensure the number of tourists that come to the city increase every day.”
Qotywa said the second goal was to ensure efficient and productive management of land and buildings.
The third goal was to improve socio-economic benefits and identify projects that will be planned and managed by the agency for the benefit of the city and increase job opportunities.
The fourth goal, he said, was more internal, looking to gather “all the resources it can utilise from human, financial to proper equipment in order to deliver on its mandate”.
Qotywa confirmed that the BCDA was still in setup stages and with a few challenges, including limited office space.
He said he expected the agency to be fully functional by the beginning of July, with office space and staff challenges sorted out.
New-look agency sets lofty goals
This according to newly appointed Buffalo City Development Agency (BCDA) CEO Gcinumzi Qotywa. The BCDA was revived last year by executive mayor Alfred Mtsi.
The BCDA became defunct in 2009 when the entire board resigned due to a “breakdown in communication”, apparently between board members and then mayor Zukiswa Faku.
Late last year, during a media briefing, Mtsi announced that the exercise to revive the agency had already started. He said it will see the agency’s scope being extended to cover the dilapidated inner city.
“The initial mandate was to develop the beachfront, but we were saying that was not enough. We are considering expanding the scope of their work to the inner city development. But beyond that we are looking at a broader scope of developing the metro,” said Mtsi.
Qotywa, in an article published on the Buffalo City Metro website, said the agency aimed to attract investors and increase economic growth through tourism, economic and social development and property management and commercialisation.
According to the BCM website, the agency has a board, appointed in 2014 by the city council.
Qotywa said the agency has four goals that include improving the numbers of tourists and revenue spent by tourists.
“Through working with the metro’s existing tourism department, the agency is set to develop systems that will ensure that we track the number of tourists that come to the city.
“We will run promotions that will ensure the number of tourists that come to the city increase every day.”
Qotywa said the second goal was to ensure efficient and productive management of land and buildings.
The third goal was to improve socio-economic benefits and identify projects that will be planned and managed by the agency for the benefit of the city and increase job opportunities.
The fourth goal, he said, was more internal, looking to gather “all the resources it can utilise from human, financial to proper equipment in order to deliver on its mandate”.
Qotywa confirmed that the BCDA was still in setup stages and with a few challenges, including limited office space.
He said he expected the agency to be fully functional by the beginning of July, with office space and staff challenges sorted out.
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