LETTER: Small business strategy
Every minister should be a minister of small business
It is understandable that the consultant to the small business development minister, Thami Mazwai, is keen to preserve his job and that of his benefactor. But by using his opinion piece to characterise our research, its motivation and our suggestion to dismantle the department of small business development — part of a grossly inflated cabinet — as “phantasmagorias”, he paints similar comments by the chair of the parliamentary portfolio committee for small business development with the same brush. ANC MP Ruth Bhengu has also questioned the need to keep the department when it has repeatedly been unable to describe, let alone fulfil, its mandate. She has pointed out, inter alia, that the department is in breach of the Small Business Act; that in four years the minister has tabled no strategy; gazetted only one regulatory amendment and only in 2018 delivered a plan for the organisation’s structure. Committee hearings have highlighted investigations into allegations of fraud and corrupti...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.