• Tweet

EBRAHIM PATEL

He said the government's focus on spaza shops was based on their ability to create jobs through entrepreneurship. Formal training was on the cards.

"But the question is: How to manage this with the danger of xenophobia?" he said.

Patel's comments at the breakfast hosted by the Progressive Business Forum on the sidelines of the ANC policy conference, came amid calls by some in the ANC to stop foreigners from owning spaza shops.

The proposal has come under fire from People Against Suffering, Oppression and Poverty, which slammed the move as misguided and a mistake.

Western Cape ANC secretary Songezo Mjongile was recently quoted as saying an explosion of foreign-owned shops had out-muscled local owners and must be done away with or it could lead to outbreaks of xenophobia.

Mjongile said the issue came up at the ANC provincial general council two weeks ago where concerns were raised about township entrepreneurs "disappearing".

Patel said the concept of "business as usual" was not what the country needed, adding that economic growth required bolstered efforts to address inequality.

He urged business to continuously engage with government to fast track socio-economic transformation .

But he acknowledge that these kinds of discussions required time and energy, adding that the payback was often delayed.

Business was more than willing to participate in the economy but felt the government was denying them the opportunity.

One such businessman was Justice Ledwaba, CEO of Lephalale Site Services.

He complained that the government was failing to disseminate information when it embarked on business ventures in small towns like Lephalale, and that multinationals were deliberately denying them the information out of fear of competition.

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Wed May 22 00:09:10 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 29, 2012

sarmologadi

Ohooo!!!! dey want spaza owners to pay huge tax shammmm dats our govnt 4u, development = govmnt benefiting more not the poor benefiting
Report Abuse

Jun 29, 2012

1tsotsi

sarmologadi
Ohooo!!!! dey want spaza owners to pay huge tax shammmm dats our govnt 4u, development = govmnt benefiting more not the poor benefiting
================
Where its written that those spaza shops will be paying huge tax? Please its still ealry in the morning dont come with you non-sense.
Report Abuse

Jun 29, 2012

Mnikazi

All the Spaza shops are owned by Somalians & Ethopians now. . . . .so how are they going to this? Cause even on SA citizens the Spaza is nomally ran by family members. . . . . JOB CREATION?????

Pardon us Mr Patel but we'll laught at this. cause you aint getting nothing from a Spaza owner.
Report Abuse

Jun 29, 2012

sarmologadi

@1tsotsi u like swearing neh....thats my opinion, it's a free country, im entitled to 1 arent I, u may not agree with me but thats how i view it period
Report Abuse

Jun 29, 2012

www.insurance-direct.co.za

Another useless plan by government tsotsis
Report Abuse

Jun 29, 2012

Catalyst

The plan is not the problem - but the ANC has shown over and over that they cannot impliment. That is where everything falls apart!
Report Abuse

Jun 29, 2012

Manndudu

@sarmologadi/1tsotsi......."'dont come with you non-sense'"

u CALL THIS SWEARING, U can't talk zero(0) sense in de name of a free Country and claim that it is your opinion, I think you don't even know how taxes are regulated to SMMEs including spazas,,,Surely ur opinion is really negative and poisonous,,,,1thing4sure is that Gvt is trying its best through this department (Economic Dev.)
Report Abuse

Jul 2, 2012

somaartakeit

LOVL is that the gov's idea of economic empowerment? you could tell that their politics and ideas were hatched whilst in the bushes, so outdated and out of touch with reality, just how many ppl are employed in a Spaza shop to warrant such gov expenditure in such a project? MCWIM
Report Abuse

Jul 2, 2012

DjEp

Seven worst govenment ever in the world.
1. South Africa
2.Vacant
3.Vacant
4.Vacant
5.Vacant
6.Vacant
7.Zimbabwe
Report Abuse

Jul 2, 2012

Pointman

Another useless suggestion from Patel. The spaza shops owners who started up their shops without government help must be aware that when the government wants to pucker up to you, you should offer the cheeks at the behind .
Report Abuse

Read all 14 comments