Statement in the National Assembly about last week's Investment Conference

This afternoon I read this statement in the House:

ANC fans are hailing last week's Investment Conference in Sandton as a major step in President Ramaphosa's goal of attracting $100 billion of investment in 5 years.

A total of R290 billion of investment was pledged, topped by Anglo American's R71,5 billion.

While we don't want to rain on South Africa's parade, we can see the spin for what it is.

Is the R290 billion new investment on top of what we were likely to have secured in the normal course of events? Would the investments have been forthcoming anyway? Was the conference a huge propaganda exercise to elevate the President's status as he sat on his gleaming white throne receiving gifts?

Anglo's statement refers to the preservation of 79,000 jobs, not the creation of new ones. The other investors provided very little detail on how their money would be spent.

The investment of R1,4 billon into tech start-ups bucked the trend, but this is only a tiny fraction of the total pledges.

It's all very well making the trophy buffalo announcements, Mr President, but where's the beef? 

Where's the concomitant reduction in the cost of doing business, deregulation of labour markets,  incentives for exports and entrepreneurs and fixing the skills deficit? 

Without them, all these investments will wither and die in South Africa's unfertile economic soil.

Small Enterprise Finance Agency still leaving township industrial parks in the lurch

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

“2657. Mr R W T Chance (DA) to ask the Minister of Small Business Development:

(1)        Whether the R163 827 014,90 spent to date by the Gauteng provincial government on industrial parks in the province is reflected in the accounts of the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa); if not, why not; if so, (a) how is this expenditure reflected and (b) what repayment will Sefa make to the provincial government;

(2)        have the improvements resulting from the specified expenditure resulted in an increased rental collection rate from tenants at the industrial parks; if so, what are the relevant details;

Media statement: ANC's rejection of Small Enterprises Ombud Service Bill threatens jobs

Date: 25 October 2018

Release: Immediate

The ANC's decision to declare the DA's Private Member's Bill for the establishment of an ombud service for small enterprises "undesirable", proves that effectively and efficiently resolving disputes that cripple small businesses in South Africa is not a priority for the governing party. The Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development yesterday rejected the Small Enterprises Ombud Service Bill based on unfounded promises by the Department of Small Business Development that they would be attending to it themselves.

Humanity at work

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development recently returned from a five day study tour to the Basque region of Spain as well as Madrid. Our purpose was to visit the Mondragon Corporation, Spain’s leading exponent of cooperatives as an organising principle of business, learn from its successes and failures and understand the role government plays in the cooperatives sector.

The development of coops has long been on the South African government’s agenda, but its track record is lamentable. A 2009 DTI study revealed that 88% of coops formed to date had failed. Since responsibility for coops was transferred to the Department of Small Business Development in 2014 their performance has not improved while hundreds of millions of rands have been pumped into the sector to try to kick start it. It remains moribund and lacking direction.

DA Premier Candidate Solly Msimanga visiting industrial parks in Orlando West and Pennyville

#MsimangaForPremier: DA Gauteng Premier Candidate Msimanga takes his Listening Tour to Township Industrial Parks in Soweto

by DA Media -

Date: 03 October 2018

Release: Immediate

On Thursday, 4 October 2018, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Premier Candidate, Solly Msimanga, will take his Listening Tour to the Township Industrial Parks in Orlando West, Soweto. The Township Industrial Parks are in a state of disrepair due to a lack of proper maintenance despite the fact that the business tenants are paying rent to the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA). The DA Gauteng Premier Candidate will listen to, and engage with businesses about the issues that they face on a daily basis. The DA Gauteng Premier Candidate will also engage with Ekasi Entrepreneurs at the Township Entrepreneurial Conversations panel discussion in Orlando West. The media is invited to attend and there will be an opportunity for interviews and photographs. The details of this leg of the Listening Tour are as follows: Date: Thursday, 4 October 2018                                                                         Meeting with businesses in the Township Industrial Parks in Orlando West, Soweto. Time: 10:00 am: 11:30 Venue: Township Industrial Parks in Orlando West, Soweto. Address: 65 Makhetha Street, Industrial Park, Orlando West, Soweto. Meeting with business associations in Orlando West Time: 12:00 am to 13:30 pm Meeting with Ekasi Entrepreneurs Time: 15:00 pm to 16:00 pm Venue: Soweto Gold and Beer Garden Address: 11846 Senokoanyana Street, Orlando West, Soweto.

The DA's plan to get SA growing helps small businesses play their part

The DA’s plan to get SA growing

by Mmusi Maimane - Leader of the Democratic Alliance

Date: 10 September 2018

Release: immediate

Note to Editors: the following statement was delivered by the Leader of the Democratic Alliance, Mmusi Maimane, at a press conference in Johannesburg today. Maimane was joined by DA National Spokesperson, Refiloe Nt’sekhe. This week, Statistics South Africa confirmed that we are in recession. This news came as a surprise only to foreign ForEx and bond investors, and it would seem, to our government. This is no surprise at all to anyone living in South Africa. The truth is that South Africans have known this for months - they have felt it in their own homes as the struggle to make ends meet gets more difficult, they have heard it as the word spreads about more job losses every day, and they've seen it in the streets and in the shops and in their pockets.

Letter to Hon Bathabile Dlamini, Minister of Women in the Presidency, re late payment of supplier

This morning I wrote to the Minister of Women in the Presidency, Bathabile Dlamini MP, drawing attention to her department's late payment of invoices from a supplier, Duma Travel. This is the same company who came to me for help some weeks ago when trying to get their outstanding payments due from Parliament for travel services rendered. I wrote to the Speaker  and the Chief Financial Officer of Parliament demanding their attention to the matter and I am pleased to say some outstanding payments were made soon after that. But they still owe Duma Travel money.