Cape Town – City residents have voiced their strong backing for the National Small Enterprise Amendment (NSEA) Bill, calling for prompt action from legislative authorities.

According to Parliament of South Africa, Cape Town citizens presented oral submissions at the public hearings held at Joseph Stone Hall in Athlone. They highlighted numerous obstacles they face as small business proprietors, such as aggressive competition from larger corporations, financial constraints, and unfair practices from small businesses run by foreign nationals.

During the discussions on the NSEA Bill, attendees addressed their concerns regarding Chapter 3 of the legislation. They focused on the provision that designates the Minister of Small Business Development as the exclusive shareholder representative at the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency. Participants suggested the incorporation of adequate oversight mechanisms to prevent any potential misuse of power by the Minister.

Furthermore, the locals urged the committee to negotiate with the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality on enforcing environmental by-laws more strictly to address issues like illegal dumping. They also requested that municipal authorities allocate plots of land for small business use within township areas.

Mr. Violet Siwela, the Chairperson of the committee, acknowledged the participants for their contributions, emphasizing the role such engagement plays in strengthening the democratic process in South Africa. He reassured the residents that their insights would be taken into account in the committee’s deliberations once the public hearings across all nine provinces are concluded.

The Western Cape represents the fifth province to conduct these hearings, with prior sessions held in Limpopo, Northern Cape, Free State, and Mpumalanga. The public hearings are part of the mandate under section 59(1)(a) of the Constitution, obliging the National Assembly to ensure public involvement in its legislative and other processes, along with those of its committees.

Following this stage, the committee is scheduled to extend the hearings to the Eastern Cape, with planned visits to the Buffalo City, OR Tambo, and Alfred Nzo district municipalities next week.