The chairperson of Greater Alexandra Chamber of Commerce and Industries (Galxcoc) Mpho Motsumi has pointed at government’s failure to ensure compliance and fair business practice in Alexandra as a root cause of violent attacks on foreign international owned businesses in South Africa.
He said lack of political will from government and big corporates to help empower small local businesses was to be blamed after the recent attacks and looting on foreign- owned businesses all over the province.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the violence and the attacks on foreign internationals and their businesses in and around Alexandra. Our government and big business are to be blamed for these latest attacks on foreign-owned shops. We have big businesses operating in the area but are not willing to give back to the community by empowering small businesses. The only thing they do is to give handouts and unwanted food parcels to our people. On the other hand, we have a government that is not willing to come to the party to help small local business.
“All these bring unnecessary frustrations to millions of unemployed young people who spend their time doing nothing in the township. We must teach our people how to fish to make a living instead of handouts. On the other hand, we have laws that make it difficult for our people to participate in the market while foreign people do business without compliance and get away with it. We are calling on the government to intervene and stop with this thing of talk shops they always host to waste people’s time.”
Motsumi said the gap of inequality and disparities in communities like Sandton and Alexandra were the sign of the economic crisis in the country. He said the working relationship between small businesses and foreign internationals who do business in the area did not exist.
“We are sitting on a ticking bomb as a country. What we have witnessed in the past few days is just the start of something big that is coming. The next target of these frustrated masses will be the big businesses who do nothing to improve the lives of local small business owners and the community at large.”
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