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Bloemfontein - Government support programmes should be used to seize economic development opportunities, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.
"The onus is on us now to work harder together, to move South Africa forward," he told workers at a job creation project, Grain Field Chicken Farm Abattoir, in Reitz.
He said South Africans should work together to develop more successful projects which would lead to further prosperity.
The R100m project, co-funded by the labour department through the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), was aimed at growing and creating jobs in rural Free State.
The workers at the plant own a 23% stake in the abattoir.
Referring to the Reitz plant and similar projects, Zuma said in most cases local people had not waited for government to do something for them.
"They have been innovative and all government had to do was to provide funding and technical assistance," he said in a speech prepared for delivery at the event.
The joint funding had assisted the project to expand and manage its operational capacity to produce and slaughter about 760 000 chickens a week.
"Most importantly, the partnership has managed to create 958 new jobs in the Reitz area... this is no doubt good news to many families in this area," said Zuma.
