Small Business Development Committee will meet representatives of foreign business owners
The Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development will meet with organised structures representing foreign nationals in the small business sector in Soweto soon.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Ruth Bhengu, said this was crucial in view of the on-going Committee’s interaction with local business owners in Soweto. “This is an important stakeholder the Committee could not afford to ignore given the potential local and township small businesses have for job creation,” Ms Bhengu said.
The time of the meeting will be decided as soon an opening in the Committee’s parliamentary programme becomes available. The Committee is currently conducting oversight on small businesses in Soweto. Local business people assured the Committee that the recent attacks on foreign-owned spaza shops were not committed by local business people, nor were they xenophobic in nature.
Ms Bhengu said the Committee was satisfied with its first day in Soweto and encouraged business people to return to work in Soweto as soon as the situation stabilises. “Small business is the sector that has a potential to create jobs en masse. The country has a target of creating 11 million jobs by 2030, 80% of which will have to come from this sector. A vibrant small business sector can only result in a flourishing domestic economy,” she said.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Sibongile Maputi (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8041
Cell: 081 052 6060
E-mail: smaputi@parliament.gov.za
