DA Parliamentary caucus signs anti-racism pledge

Today, the DA Parliamentary caucus gathered on the National Assembly steps for a group photo, holding up the DA anti-racism pledge which we had all just signed.

  

This is an important re-statement of our principled stand against racism, which is divisive and against the letter and spirit of both the country's and the DA's constitution. I will be encouraging all my members and activists in Soweto West to sign the pledge and give it force in their everyday lives.

Opinion piece in Business Day - Synergy holds the key to growth

Today's Business Day features my opinion piece on supply chain inclusion  (SCI) - you can read it here or else below.

The Word Bank’s most recent annual update on the South African economy highlights anti-competitive behaviour by industry-wide cartels as a major impediment to economic growth and poverty alleviation. It correctly notes the role our competition authorities play in breaking up these cartels, which serve the interests of large players dominating their markets and cosy supply chains favouring long-standing supplier relationships.

Speaking to business owners in Jabulani with Herman Mashaba

Yesterday Herman Mashaba, DA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, was the guest speaker at an event organised by my Soweto West constituency in Jabulani. The focus was how the DA would assist businesses in Soweto and other townships gain access to the mainstream economy.

Herman was inspiring and received a warm welcome from the roughly 125 members of the audience.

It was great to see representatives from business associations such as The Entrepreneur Network, the Chamber of Business Associations and the Orlando East Business Forum present, as well as the Centre for Development Enterprise, Small Business Project, Seed Academy and other organisations with an interest in support for small business.

Before he left Herman drew the lucky winners of prizes donated by Seed Academy and the SA Professional Network Association. We also had impassioned speeches by founder of PhindiK shoes, Tshepo Kgaudi, and Pam Green, founder of Second Chances NGO, both of whom got a standing ovation.

BizNews op-ed - Stability Key – Shifting regulatory goalposts points to ‘Rocky Road’.

BizNews has today published my op-ed on doing business in South Africa, first posted on this blog on January 22nd. You can find it here.

BizNews editor Stuart Lowman provides a nice summary of the issue - The problem with any form of regulation is that it can often form the basis of a deterrent. One is not arguing that it needs to be put in place, but any form of it needs to be well thought out, with both sides arguments taken into account and put into practice. And then all an investor requires is stability as the ever changing landscape is not attractive. The Democratic Alliance’s Toby Chance takes a look at the current business landscape in South Africa. He says, “A new balance needs to be struck. Business’s willingness and capacity to invest, grow and create jobs has been taken too much for granted by policy and lawmakers.” And as ever, he calls on the urgent need for reform, and offers some advice.

Regulations and red tape might not be the sexiest things to tackle, but they are strangling the life out of business like a boa constrictor suffocates its prey. Most of our lawmakers do not have a background in or understand business - the only source of wealth creation from which most taxes are paid.

My colleague Henro Kruger has been working extremely hard for the past year on a piece of legislation which, if enacted, will have a dramatic effect on the law-making process, making it much more business friendly. Watch this space!!!!