Ron Smit is Midvaal Municipality’s Speaker. He has a successful background in commerce and retired
in Midvaal in 2002.
His vision for the region is to provide IT training for the disadvantaged to enable the poor to employ themselves.
He currently has a small training school with 25 students who are learning IT skills. Sasol donated
a few old computers to the training school and Cllr. Smit has
arranged a sponsor for the students to write recognised exams for IT qualifications.
He uses redundant computers to teach his students how to build computers and believes recycling e-waste is just one of the projects which can put bread on the table for the jobless.
Cllr.
Smit also assists local councillors from the disadvantaged communities in Midvaal to become computer literate.
Music is one of his passions which he is putting to good use to establish a youth forum.
The Speaker believes that by empowering the youth will go a long way towards alleviating poverty.
“I also attend ward committee meetings where I listen to the community’s problems and try to give assistance where I can.”
He is also responsible for receiving petitions from community members and discussing them with the relevant officials to try to resolve issues as speedily as possible.
