Details needed for this initiative

With reference to your article on the State of City Address and the R2.9-billion that is 29 000 x R1-million dedicated to pre-qualified businesses owned by youths, women, people with disabilities, black industrialists and community job creation initiatives.

You mention a total of 1 280 businesses and persons who will benefit from this in you analysis and 101 council wards who will receive R1-m each plus R589-m for the community works programme. Good idea.

My question is: what are the qualifications for receiving this money? Who is going to make the decision about whom to dish out these funds to, or will it be another exercise of Black Empowerment, where only a few, well connected or politically correct persons will receive these benefits?

Will the loan be repaid, and with what interest?

I have been working for the establishment of a University in Brakpan,for Ekurhuleni, for these same young persons.

So that they can be better educated to find work and reduce the more than 750 000 unemployed young persons in Ekurhuleni.

The mayor has shown little interest in this idea, except to give lip service about improving education.

He has not allocated 1c to even investigate the idea, to see whether it could be a success.

SARS has implemented the Employment Tax Incentive Act through the Paye system which, by December 2014, had provided 270 000 young people with jobs in approximately 29 000 businesses.

Townships which I visit every week could be rezoned with commercial zoning in appropriate arrears so that ordinary people can become entrepreneurs and build up the township.

I think the mayor and his council should be held responsible for these funds.

If they are lost to our community they must pay it back.

Those of us in business know how difficult it is to succeed and know it is not just a matter of throwing money at a problem.

Nelson Mandela believed that education is the most important contribution you can make to uplift the standards of our people.

It is easy to spend someone else’s hard earned money and look good.

Do you know why banks are so hard nosed about loans? Because 90 per cent of new businesses fail.

Persons interested in supporting me with the Ekurhuleni University in Brakpan can contact me on 011 740 0904, or email me at Waners@telkomsa.net

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