President Cyril Ramaphosa will miss this week’s commissioning of a state-of-the-art plastic production plant by leading international manufacturer ALPLA Group due to changes to his work programme, his office said on Tuesday.
Ramaphosa was initially scheduled to open US$50 million plastic recycling plant in the town of Lanseria on Wednesday.
“The President will be represented by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy,” presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.
In his 2020 State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa positioned infrastructure development and the establishment of new cities as means to stimulate the economy and increase employment.
The ALPLA investment is a key contribution to the Lanseria Smart City masterplan.
“The ALPLA Group’s US$50 million commitment will not only drive sustainability and recycling in the country, but will create and sustain 350 jobs, with an apprenticeship programme that will train 36 mechatronics and recycling technicians for ALPLA operations across southern Africa,” Magwenya said.
The apprentice programme is expected to commence in 2023, with the first 12 South African apprentices from local communities beginning their training in the plastics technology and machining technology trades in the ‘Future Corner’ training centre in Lanseria.
In the new headquarters for Sub-Saharan Africa, the ALPLA group is merging five previous plants which were located in Harrismith, Denver, Isando, Kempton Park and Samrand.
The new location in Lanseria features 35 000 square metres of covered production, administration and storage space, another 12 500 for future expansion, and 30,000 square metres of roof area equipped with solar panels.
ALPLA is one of the leading companies for plastic packaging and recycling.
The new plant will produce bottles, closures and special packaging for the food, personal and home care, chemical, cleaning agent and pharmaceutical industries – a total of around 3.5 billion pieces per year.
NM/jn/APA