BOTSHABELO – During the public hearings at Simson Sefuthi Community Hall on the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill, individuals with disabilities voiced concerns to a Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development about their exclusion from business opportunities in the Mangaung According to Parliament of South Africa,, participants asserted that this lack of access exacerbates their daily struggles and called for the Bill to prioritize small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) owned by differently-abled individuals.

Participants pointed out several issues with the current state of funding, including selective distribution that doesn’t follow prescribed requirements, even after all necessary application forms have been correctly submitted. They also raised concerns about a lack of transparency in the funding application process, claiming that the absence of application acknowledgements left them uncertain about the status of their applications. Additionally, they said that securing funding seemed to require connections to influential people.

Despite these challenges, people with disabilities joined other residents in supporting the Amendment Bill. They were particularly optimistic about the proposed merger of the Small Enterprise Development Agency, the Co-operative Banks Development Agency, and the Small Enterprise Financing Agency into a unified Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency. They believe that this merger will simplify the process of securing services and eliminate the need for them to commute between multiple agencies.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Faiez Jacobs, the leader of the Portfolio Committee delegation, thanked those who attended the hearings. He also noted that the committee continues to welcome written submissions on the Bill and encouraged interested individuals to send their views to lntsabo@parliament.gov.za.