The organisers somehow do not mention one critical element needed to submit a winning tender bid - political connection
GULUVA and his pals were overwhelmed with excitement the other day when two of Mzansi's leading financial publications, Business Day and Financial Mail, announced in an advertisement that they would soon be running three seminars on how to submit "winning tenders".
"Tenders are a lucrative source of income for small business in a tight economy," says the advert. "But [they] can be a minefield to negotiate."
With tenderpreneurism seemingly the in-thing these days, who in his or her right mind would miss out on an opportunity to attend such empowering courses and consequently become part of Mzansi's impressive legion of tenderpreneurs?
According to the advert the three interactive one-day seminars - to be held in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town in February - "will provide vital training, documentation and advice that will enhance your ability to outbid competitors consistently and win new contracts".
The organisers say the seminars, to be facilitated by a tendering expert, will also enable prospective tenderpreneurs to "set their organisations apart from the opposition, consistently submit winning tenders and source new tenders effectively", to mention just a few benefits.
And all of this for a mere R2 250; small change for seasoned tenderpreneurs!
But the organisers somehow do not mention one critical element needed to submit a winning bid - political connection.
The organisers are seemingly not politically connected themselves, otherwise they would know that in this business it is not what you know, but who you know.
Blade cuts deep
Who, besides the President and Deputy President, can order fellow cabinet ministers around like schoolboys and girls?
No, it is not Collins Chabane, the Minister of Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration in the Presidency. Neither is it Pravin Gordhan, the man who, as Finance Minister, holds the country's purse strings.
It is none other than Comrade Blade Nzimande, who officially serves as Minister of Higher Education and Training but can from time to time bark instructions for his cabinet colleagues to follow.
In the wake of the frozen chicken scandal, which saw chickens that have reached the end of their shelf lives being recycled to supermarket fridges, Nzimande ordered "the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health to institute an investigation".
Notably, the statement was conveniently issued in his capacity as general secretary of the South African Communist Party. But Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi can't be chuffed being ordered around like that by a cabinet colleague.
Thankless task
Guluva can't believe that Ain't Seen Nothing Yet's top brass can be such an ungrateful, insensitive and heartless lot.
In 2004 the party saw its bank balance controversially balloon by a cool R11million ahead of general elections, thanks to the generosity of one Sandile Majali.
The party went on to comfortably win the polls. But this week, following Majali's lonely death in a Sandton hotel, party members pretended he never existed.
Asked to comment on Majali's passing and pay the party's last respects to him, Ain't Seen Nothing Yet's spin doctor, Jackson "The Toothy One" Mthembu, angrily told a reporter: "No comment. Why should we comment on Majali's death when other people are also dying?"
Just shows that being a political benefactor can at times be a thankless task.
- E-mail Guluva on: thatha.guluva@gmail.com
Tenders' missing connection
The organisers somehow do not mention one critical element needed to submit a winning tender bid - political connection
GULUVA and his pals were overwhelmed with excitement the other day when two of Mzansi's leading financial publications, Business Day and Financial Mail, announced in an advertisement that they would soon be running three seminars on how to submit "winning tenders".
"Tenders are a lucrative source of income for small business in a tight economy," says the advert. "But [they] can be a minefield to negotiate."
With tenderpreneurism seemingly the in-thing these days, who in his or her right mind would miss out on an opportunity to attend such empowering courses and consequently become part of Mzansi's impressive legion of tenderpreneurs?
According to the advert the three interactive one-day seminars - to be held in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town in February - "will provide vital training, documentation and advice that will enhance your ability to outbid competitors consistently and win new contracts".
The organisers say the seminars, to be facilitated by a tendering expert, will also enable prospective tenderpreneurs to "set their organisations apart from the opposition, consistently submit winning tenders and source new tenders effectively", to mention just a few benefits.
And all of this for a mere R2 250; small change for seasoned tenderpreneurs!
But the organisers somehow do not mention one critical element needed to submit a winning bid - political connection.
The organisers are seemingly not politically connected themselves, otherwise they would know that in this business it is not what you know, but who you know.
Blade cuts deep
Who, besides the President and Deputy President, can order fellow cabinet ministers around like schoolboys and girls?
No, it is not Collins Chabane, the Minister of Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration in the Presidency. Neither is it Pravin Gordhan, the man who, as Finance Minister, holds the country's purse strings.
It is none other than Comrade Blade Nzimande, who officially serves as Minister of Higher Education and Training but can from time to time bark instructions for his cabinet colleagues to follow.
In the wake of the frozen chicken scandal, which saw chickens that have reached the end of their shelf lives being recycled to supermarket fridges, Nzimande ordered "the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health to institute an investigation".
Notably, the statement was conveniently issued in his capacity as general secretary of the South African Communist Party. But Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi can't be chuffed being ordered around like that by a cabinet colleague.
Thankless task
Guluva can't believe that Ain't Seen Nothing Yet's top brass can be such an ungrateful, insensitive and heartless lot.
In 2004 the party saw its bank balance controversially balloon by a cool R11million ahead of general elections, thanks to the generosity of one Sandile Majali.
The party went on to comfortably win the polls. But this week, following Majali's lonely death in a Sandton hotel, party members pretended he never existed.
Asked to comment on Majali's passing and pay the party's last respects to him, Ain't Seen Nothing Yet's spin doctor, Jackson "The Toothy One" Mthembu, angrily told a reporter: "No comment. Why should we comment on Majali's death when other people are also dying?"
Just shows that being a political benefactor can at times be a thankless task.
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