Mutshamaxitulu, Xosungula ndzi rhandza ku xeweta Maafrika-Dzonga etindhawini hinkwato laha va hi yingiselaka va ri kona.
English:
Minister, when the President announced the reduction in his Cabinet size, we were hoping that this department would be reduced to a programme or office under the current Ministry of Economic Development. We don't need a Minister, a Deputy Minister and a director-general for a department that can exist as a programme within an existing department. This will save R230 million, and will also allow for more co-ordinated and efficient bureaucratic economic policy.
In where small businesses are successful, sustainable and create jobs, it is when they are linked with manufacturing of things that local people consume with the capacity to export. In Germany for example small businesses are foundational to the economy more particularly manufacturing. South Africa's small businesses must be a pathway to raising incomes and living standards for millions of South Africans who live in poverty. For this to happen small businesses in the country need proper support. This support must be
in the form of regulations, infrastructure, protection from cheaper imports, access to the market and access to finance.
Since the existence of the EFF small businesses have come to the EFF offices asking for assistance in accessing a loan, because the Small Enterprise Finance Agency only gives loans to those who have a government connection. We need to clean up the funding process for small businesses.
A single agency needs to be developed where small businesses can submit applications for support, whether it be in the form of finance or access to markets. Qualified people must be appointed to understand the role of small business and how best small businesses can be supported. Government must also use its procurement policy to support small businesses.
In 2015, there was a promise that government will set aside 30% of appropriate categories of state procurement for purchasing from small, medium & micro enterprise businesses, SMMEs, co-operatives as well as townships and rural enterprises. This promise was repeated again in the ruling party manifesto during the elections. But we still have not seen this happen. This process of using government procurement has been corrupted. Contracts are not being given to
small businesses that offer goods and services at the best price. It is being given to small businesses linked to the ANC and white monopoly capital. This is why the EFF will be tabling a private member Bill to amend the Public Finance Management Act and Municipal Finance Management Act to ensure that a minimum of 80% of the goods and services procured by the state must be procured by local producers, with 50% of that 80 coming from small businesses owned by black people, women in particular. Government must legislate that all big corporates and companies must source their key industrial inputs from SMMEs.
The state also needs to build state-owned trading and retail platforms in communities so that small businesses can get their products on the shelves.
Minister, it is extremely disturbing and worrying that in major central business districts, especially in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth, the city policy goes around confiscating the goods of informal traders' harasses them. These informal traders do not do what they do because they want to, but they are informal traders because they have no land, and because there are no jobs. Government is punishing these informal traders for its own failures. We cannot continue to have municipal by-laws that discriminate
against informal traders. It is racist, antipoor and takes food out of the mouths of the families of informal traders who do not have any other income to survive.
If we protect small businesses and provide them support as we have outlined here, they can produce jobs and improve the living conditions of our people. In our townships and in the rural the establishment of properly planned special tax-free economic zones will further stimulate small businesses growth. This development and industrial activity will come with demand for service inputs and the provision of goods and services for newly employed workers which small businesses can provide. But this government does not have the political will, capacity or vision to realise the true potential of small businesses in this country.
Xitsonga:
Tanihi vandla ra EFF a hi pfumelelani na yona Budget Vote leyi. Ndza khensa.