Small business development: Long on promises, short on delivery

Stories such as Sizwe Nzima, a young entrepreneur running a business in Khayelitsha delivering chronic medication to local residents using bicycles are only too few. Sizwe was recently named one of Forbes Magazine’s 30 best African entrepreneurs under 30. The Western Cape Department of Health and the Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurial Development at the University of Cape Town are now helping formalise the business, enabling him to take advantage of the huge latent demand for his services.                               

Photo of Sizwe Nzima courtesy of Forbes.com

Massacre, liberalism, tragedy and hope

The past week has been one of extreme highs and lows for me, on an intellectual and emotional level. It started with watching the film Miners Shot Down, and a few minutes ago I learned of the death of a dear friend and colleague that has left me bereft and deeply saddened. This is made all the more poignant by the fact that today is Youth Day, when we commemorate the lives of 23 young people who paid the ultimate sacrifice standing up for what they believed to be right in Soweto on this day in 1976. There are ceremonies taking place all over the country as we somberly reflect on the progress we have made, or not made, in the succeeding 38 years. But I want to dedicate this day to the late Clyde Finlayson, his dear wife Simone and their family.

Trading at the Castle

On Friday Diana, her sister Carolyn and I visited a fabulous pop up market in the Cape Town castle, Trading at the Castle, a joint initiative between Kamers vol Geskenke and the Cape Craft & Design Initiative. It was billed as an official Cape Town World Design Capital event and just as we were leaving we bumped into WDC CEO Alayne Reesberg, who has much to be proud about with this showcase of craft and design from the Western Cape. It was a pity we did not have more time (we were on our way to the airport) because every one of the 110 stall holders had something wonderful to offer.

Shadow Minister for Small Business Development

Today I was appointed Shadow Minister for Small Business Development in Mmusi Maimane's first shadow cabinet. My deputy is Hendrik Kruger who hails from Emalahleni (formerly Witbank) in Mpumalanga. Like Mmusi's other appointees, I received his letter while sitting in the DA caucus meeting this morning, just as Helen Zille was addressing us. It came as a big shock, but a very welcome surprise nevertheless. As the DA has been saying for many months now, the most important issue facing the country is how to get our economy moving again so it can create jobs, and so lift millions of people out of poverty and desperation. The spotlight will fall on the Small Business Development Ministry for it is tasked with creating the conditions for small businesses to emerge and thrive. The National Development Plan estimates that 80% of new jobs will come from small business. We have a massive task ahead.

Presidential inauguration - hurry up and wait

Here is a summary of yesterday's Presidential Inauguration, which Diana and I attended and which rounded off an extremely eventful week and a bit for us:

Total travel time: 4 hours
Total waiting time: 6 hours
Total eating and drinking time: 2 hours
Total airshow time: 20 minutes
Total inauguration / speech time: 40 minutes
Total time: 13 hours
Question: was it worth getting up at 3:45 am for this?
Answer: most definitely

More than merely semantics

Today's Business Day published my letter on the semantic muddle the Chief Justice got into in the opening of Parliament on Wednesday - click here for the link.

Here is the letter:

Dear Sir

Yesterday, the newly sworn in members of the national assembly (of which I am privileged to be one) listened to Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng brush aside a point of order from Corne Mulder MP on the procedure for the election of the Speaker. Mulder pointed out the rules of the election, drawn up by the Chief Justice himself, state that MPs “must” exercise their vote. During the vote it became clear that a significant minority of MPs were abstaining, hence Mulder’s point of order. The Chief Justice responded by saying that in our democratic system, voters were not compelled to vote but could exercise their choice to do so, and the same applied here, so where it was written “must” we were to interpret it as “may.” To which Mulder, raising a laugh from the House, suggested we apply  the same interpretation when asked to pay our taxes.

To those who dismiss this as mere semantics, I refer them to the Free Market Foundation’s court action challenging the constitutionality of Section 32 of the Labour Relations Act, concerning the rules governing bargaining council agreements. The FMF is requesting the Minister of Labour to replace the word “must” with “may”, thus freeing her from being compelled to extend these agreements to all parties.

Can the Chief Justice’s interpretation of his own rules yesterday be regarded as setting a precedent in law, and if so may the FMF withdraw its action, or must it still go ahead?

Yours sincerely

Toby Chance

Cape Town

First day in Parliament

Yesterday went by in a blur and I am now officially a Member of Parliament. It started with our first caucus meeting at 7 am and ended with dinner back at the hotel at 9 pm, in between which I met countless new people from both sides of the House and a fair few surprised ANC members I'd known from my previous life at Adele Lucas Promotions. It had its moments of drama and a few hours of waiting around, but overall it demonstrated a functional South African political system with its traditions, pomp and ceremony intact and respected by all concerned - even the Economic Freedom Fighters, who redefined our understanding of "formal" attire by dressing in red boiler suits and domestic servant attire.