Gauteng MEC for Economic Development and Finance, Lebogang Maile, has launched the "Qondis’ Ishishini Lakho - Fix Your Business" campaign in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni.
This is part of government’s efforts to ensure business compliance in townships, informal settlements, hostels and CBDs.
A joint effort between the department, the Gauteng Provincial Treasury, the City of Ekurhuleni, SA Police Service, the Gauteng Liquor Board, the Gauteng Office of Consumer Affairs, Gauteng Gambling Board and relevant government agencies, "Qondis’ Ishishini Lakho - Fix Your Business" is primarily meant to assist business to comply with regulations that govern businesses in Gauteng, while simultaneously enforcing compliance with the same laws.
During MEC Maile’s monitoring and compliance blitz in Ivory Park, Winnie Mandela and Olifantsfontein townships, most of the businesses were closed in the neighbourhood’s high street.
This suggested that most of them were non-compliant and shut down to evade monitoring inspections.
However, for shopping centres in the neighbourhood, it was business as usual and that is where inspections focused.
Tembisa was chosen partly because between February and September 2024, 203 cases of foodborne illnesses were reported in Gauteng - Ekurhuleni accounted for 116 of those - including 10 deaths.
Four recent deaths were reported in Ekurhuleni and the victims were children between the ages of 03 and 13.
As part of ongoing community outreach and strengthening engagement with learners, government assigned environmental health officials to address food safety concerns in local schools and communities.
MEC Maile said government was committed to helping emerging businesses access funding and market opportunities and pledged to soon host a funding symposium with the banks to help compliant and qualifying businesses access funding.
He urged township businesses to consider other options, including cooperative banks and to pool resources together to fund expansion.
“The township economy is worth at least R100 billion but most of that money leaves the township. Businesses need the help of government to change that. We also need to solve the problem of the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. Otherwise, the economy will not change,” he said.
MEC Maile undertook to attend the problem of the lack of ease of doing business, saying this was stifling the growth potential of many emerging businesses.
Also on site at the Rabasotho community hall were various government entities whose function is to register businesses and ensure their compliance. They availed their online services.
Ekurhuleni Member of the Mayoral Committee, Nomadlozi Nkosi, explained that they were providing on-the-spot assistance to small and medium enterprises in the Ivory Park, Olifantsfontein and Winnie Mandela communities.
The initiative was a significant step towards fostering a more competitive and sustainable business environment by holding the hand and assisting with the much-needed interventions.
SAPS District Commissioner of Ekurhuleni, Major General Anna Sithole, said they had run scores of raids in line with the Operation Shanela weekly campaign on businesses in Gauteng and had confiscated 3089 of contraband and counterfeit products.
Around Tembisa, 191 liquor outlets were inspected and 112 of those outlets were closed due to non-compliance.
This also resulted in the confiscation of over 105 872 15 millilitres of alcohol.
A total of 114 spaza shop-focused inspections resulted in the confiscation of 5 265 counterfeit cigarettes and a total of 880 illegal body creams.
Sithole said this would benefit communities and respond to their concerns about sub-standard goods being sold at some of the shops in the townships.
She called for this to happen weekly in order to have the desired impact in Gauteng.
“We welcome this brilliant initiative. It is an initiative that will complement the Commissioner’s whole government approach to law enforcement.
“We as law enforcement agencies pledge 100% commitment to work with multi-sectoral agencies to ensure that communities feel safe when they purchase foods. We take this opportunity of correcting wrong with right to ensure that business owners fix their businesses. Those who don’t will not trade with peace. We urge them to do what is right,” Sithole said. – SAnews.gov.za
