The metro is conducting regional roadshows to assist business entities and cooperatives owned by designated previously disadvantaged groups to take advantage of its community empowerment programme named Mintirho ya Vulavula.
The Mintirho ya Vulavula programme assists the designated groups to be economically competitive and able to participate in the mainstream economy through the metro’s preferential procurement system.
The programme also entails centralisation and rationalisation of procurement systems within the metro so that the identified portion of the business is shared equitably among the intended beneficiaries.
The metro held a roadshow at KwaThema Stadium, last Friday, where beneficiaries and owners of small, medium and micro enterprise businesses (SMMEs) welcomed the centralised procurement processes which they said will reduce the uneven distribution of business opportunities.
MMC for Finance and Economic Development Clr Doctor Xhakaza led the metro’s delegation during the roadshow.
Fikile Shabalala, owner of Fabasa General Trading, said she was encouraged by the new approach of centralising procurement processes and extending business opportunities to all businesses after she had the misfortune of being requested to send quotations without getting any business for close to two years.
“As a local business trader I welcome this centralisation with open arms, and hope that this will indeed open the industry for local entrepreneurs to compete fairly and be empowered economically by the metro,” Shabalala said.
In response to her comments, Xhakaza said the roadshows were a perfect platform to identify SMMEs’ needs and areas of concern.
“One of the tools to ensure economic empowerment for local businesses is through the fair rotation of empowerment opportunities that the metro is introducing through the Mintirho ya Vulavula community empowerment programme where all procurement services will be centralised to ensure a fair and equal rotation of providing services to the metro,” Xhakaza said.
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The last leg of the regional roadshows on the Mintirho ya Vulavula community empowerment programme was held at Mehlareng Stadium in Tembisa on Wednesday.
This followed the roadshows that were held at Germiston Stadium and KwaThema Stadium.
The Mintirho ya Vulavula programme is the metro’s way of intensifying its efforts to increase economic participation by traditionally marginalised sectors of society.
The roadshows are held to educate and provide the community and local businesses with valuable information on the application processes for inclusion in the sub-contracting processes for the metro’s preferential procurement programmes.
The targeted enterprises and cooperatives for the roadshows are those that are at least 51 per cent owned by black people; black people who are youth; black women; black people living with disabilities; black people living in rural or underdeveloped areas or townships; cooperative which is at least 51 per cent owned by black people and black people who are military veterans.
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