Government and business owners in the North West province are working in silos. This emerged at a business forum in Mahikeng, where the provincial government met with business owners.
The forum set out to mend relations between the two, following the recent political unrest in the platinum province.
Business owners criticised what they called the lack of support from government.
The recent political turmoil in the North West province has dented relations between business and government, hence the meeting, to try and reconcile objectives. But, small business owners have been the most affected as emotions ran high as they voiced their frustrations.
One business owner says that contracts are sidelined: “Most of the contracts, even catering, small things that could be developing small businesses were centralised and contracts were taken to bigger businesses so that we are sidelined.”
Another owner calls for the immediate removal of MEC Wendy Nelson.
“All I want the government to do is to give local people or people that live within the province participation, and be able to give them a chance to also do construction.”
North West Premier Prof. Job Mokgoro concedes that government is not on the same page as business.
“It’s almost like government does not hear society. There is a question of equity, especially related to supply chain management where opportunities tend to be skewed. Our response has got to get everybody within the same world so that we interact, we engage, because when all is said and done government has the authority to get citizens to pay tax. But in that same relationship, once citizens have paid taxes, government has got to go back to society and say on the basis of that tax that you are paying we have undertaken the commitment to deliver the following services.”
The value of the capital city as a business hub was also under scrutiny. Business owners say the town is not viable for economic growth.
Twenty five year-old Keaobaka Morubane, an upcoming fashion designer makes contemporary pop culture couture with African print fabrics – and says doing business in Mahikeng is no easy feat.
“Mahikeng is slow in terms of business. People prefer going out for well-known restaurants, malls and well-known retail stores. When you are a small business and you’re emerging, it’s a problem because they have not warmed up to the idea of supporting people. They don’t know and they didn’t grow up with it so business becomes slow for those people, especially the small ones. For example, my business or somebody who is selling tomatoes on the street, they’d rather go to a mall and buy those things. So we are not supporting our people, the ones that start businesses from scratch.”
Entrepreneurs also expressed the hope, that government would employ more local contractors and service providers for infrastructure projects in the province.
