Maimane's Bosa protests for economic inclusion

GEORGE NEWS - A small group of protesters from Mmusi Maimane's political party Bosa (Build One SA), Small Business Alliance Garden Route, Blanco Business Chamber and a few subcontractors, voiced their grievances on Monday 3 March with protest action in front of George Municipality.

Their memorandum, received by Acting Director of Community Safety and Mobility Lee-Anne Meiring, includes several demands regarding subcontracting, monitoring and oversight, the municipality's indigent policy and inclusion in transport economic opportunities.

Municipal senior communications officer Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe says the content of the memorandum will be reviewed and the municipality will respond directly to the relevant parties in due course.

Deputy president of Bosa Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster said she recently spent time in George with SMMEs (small, medium, and micro enterprises). "What really came through is that people are struggling. People see opportunities - it's there, but they are excluded. We have to have one George with an inclusive economy."

Indigent households

Annie Stols from Parkdene, a member of Bosa, complained about the blocking of electricity for indigent households, and the number of units given to a single household. "If you don't pay for one month, your electricity gets blocked," says Stols.

Mangqwengqwe explains that the reduction of electricity amperage for indigent households is a council-approved measure aligned with national policies and best practices to ensure sustainable service delivery.

"Households requiring an increase in amperage can apply through the relevant municipal process." He said a formal signed payment arrangement is required to resolve an outstanding municipal account balance. "Partial payments alone do not constitute a valid agreement. Once an arrangement is in place, the account is flagged to prevent further blocking."

MUSTNobuntu Hlazo-Webster is on a roll, addressing a handful of small business owners and members of Bosa. Photos: Jacqueline Herbst

Budgets and benefits

In a video on George Herald's online platforms, Lester Jansen of Small Business Alliance Garden Route criticises the supply chain policy of George Municipality. Jansen says all the projects that are currently ongoing at the municipality under the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) Grant and Integrated Urban Development Grant (IUDG), total R15bn. "In the sports department they have a master plan of R2,6bn, with no benefits for small businesses," says Jansen.

However, Mangqwengqwe says these figures are incorrect. The correct figures are as follows:

The total BFI grant, which includes the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG), amounts to R1,107bn. The 2024/25 financial year is the final year of the four-year grant period, with an allocation of R274m for this period.
The IUDG allocation for 2024/25 is about R67m.

"The Sports Master Plan is a long-term strategic framework that identifies service delivery needs in the sports sector," says Mangqwengqwe. "The approval of the master plan by the council does not imply that all projects within the plan will be implemented in the short or medium term. Instead, it serves as a guiding document to enable the municipality to explore various funding opportunities to execute the projects over time.

"On the matter of small business participation, once funding for specific projects is secured, the municipality will follow standard supply chain management (SCM) processes to appoint service providers in a fair, transparent, and compliant manner."

Taking a break in the hot sun. Photo: Jacqueline Herbst