Polokwane - Over half a million jobs are expected to be created in Limpopo over the next ten years in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with a Chinese delegation on Wednesday night.
The MoU was signed by representatives of the China Coal Technology and Engineering Group (CCTEG), Limpopo's Corridor Mining Resources parastatal and the Universities of Limpopo and Venda.
"Coal has always been a strategic resource solid enough to grow the economy of a country and we count many references in our conclusion that Limpopo province is the future economic centre of the country and the continent at large," said Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale at the signing ceremony.
He said Limpopo had enough coal reserves to help drive economic growth in the province within the next four years already.
"The coal portfolio, if it is appropriately used, has a great potential to unlock an excess of 50 000 decent and sustainable job opportunities between now and 2014," he said.
He said the partnership with the Chinese sought to transform South Africa's coal industry from less than five major global players and to increase economic opportunities for local people.
Unemployment in the province alone was expected to drop from 22 percent to below 13 percent as a result of the partnership.
Mathale said the partnership would also enable local universities to participate in qualitative and research based exchange programmes and allowed for collaboration in geology, surveying, skills transfer and capacity building.
The Chinese delegation was led by CCTEG Vice Chairman Professor Tian Hui following the signing of the Beijing Declaration on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Republic of South Africa and the People's Republic of China by President Jacob Zuma and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
The state-managed CCTEG was formed by the Sino Coal International Engineering Research and Design Institute (Sino Coal) and China Coal Research Institute (CCRI).
CCTEG does feasibility studies as well as mining exploration, design, consulting, research, development and manufacturing amongst other services.
