MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – Makhado Municipality has been nominated as one of the country's top performers in the Public Sector for 2003 and qualifies for inclusion in the 2004/5 National Edition of the publication "South Africa's Top 300 Companies".

The mayor, Councillor RF Nkuzana, received a letter of congratulation from the national Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alec Erwin, on the event of this important nomination for the municipality.

The National Edition forms a comprehensive and indispensable record of South African business and industry, and is officially considered as a leading annual business and investment publication, now entering its fourth year. The national edition is both sponsored and distributed nationally and internationally by the Department of Trade and Industry, through its offices in 42 countries around the world.

Makhado Municipality's nomination follows extensive research by "Top 300 Companies" into more than 9 000 of South Africa's leading organisations in both the private and public sectors. These include listed and unlisted companies, municipalities, government departments, institutions, agencies and other bodies, spread across 150 economic sectors.

Nominations are made according to a set of strict entry criteria, formulated in consultation with respected and credible business organisations and academic institutions. While all nominated organisations are required to meet a basic entry criterium of an annual turnover R50-million, a wide range of other criteria are also taken into account. This includes growth, transformation, employment equity, corporate social investment, quality of products or services, as well as achievements within its field, to ensure that the nominated organisations are in fact the top performers within each particular business sector.

In yet another high- level achievement, the municipality was informed by the AA Travel Guide's management that the local caravan park made the final list of the Guide's annual awards. The final list's outcome will be announced at a prize-giving event, which will be held during the course of the annual Indaba Show in Durban. This is the first time that the Makhado Caravan Park is a finalist in the AA Travel Guide Awards. The Makhado Caravan Park previously received the Caravan and Outdoor Life Magazine award.