The Western Cape government has pledge its support to and will participate in the Operation Phakisa pilot project aimed at creating one-million jobs in key maritime sectors, but is calling on the Presidency to assist in removing blockages preventing development from taking place.

“We need cooperative governance. We need all the relevant role-players to come to the table and shoulder [their] respective responsibilities in this regard,” Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde said on Tuesday.

President Jacob Zuma launched this first pilot project for Operation Phakisa – which was aimed at fast-tracking the delivery of some of the priorities outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP) – earlier this month.

Winde said the Western Cape government was working together with the national government to stimulate ocean-based growth and jobs.

“The Western Cape government has representatives in the aquaculture team, [while] the Industrial Development Zone team is also participating in Operation Phakisa. I am pleased that the national government has decided to implement some of the priorities contained in the NDP,” he explained.

However, Winde stressed that marine economic development depended on well-functioning harbours.

He noted that the province currently had 12 small fishing harbours that could play a crucial role in supporting fishing communities and providing them with access to other economic opportunities; however, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, had allowed these harbours to fall into disrepair.

Winde stated that despite studies showing that the maintenance and development of the 12 existing designated fishing harbours were of crucial importance for any strategy aimed at generating jobs and economic growth from marine resources, a lack of cooperation from some national departments had been a stumbling block that had, to date, prevented development from taking place.

“This is despite the constitutional mandate for harbours lying with local government,” he added.