‘Empower locals first’
MIDRAND – Midrand Local Economic Empowerment members protested at Foce Property Investments (FPI) development site in Midrand.
Midrand Local Economic Empowerment Forum members protested at Foce Property Investments’ (FPI) development site in Midrand, on 21 September.
The protest was sparked by members who demanded that local small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) be granted business opportunities with employment for locals which will give them the required skills for future employment.
The non-profit organisation, which represents black SMMEs, unemployed professionals as well as skilled and unskilled labourers from 11 wards in Johannesburg’s Region A alleges that private companies, investors and developers are refusing to empower small and black-owned businesses from Midrand and the surrounding areas.
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Executive committee member of the forum, Benson Motsumi said, “Situations, where empowerment is denied to black people, should come to an end. We cannot allow Midrand-based businesses and companies that develop in Midrand to continue overlooking the locals from this area and deny them opportunities to participate in the projects and business activities taking place in their area.
“At the end of the day, the people who are in this area are the ones who are expected to buy, sponsor and support these developments. Black people are only expected to consume and not to participate in the development. Our people remain poor. They are suffering, yet Midrand alone contributes about 40 per cent of the Johannesburg GDP.”
Motsumi said they had written letters to FPI asking them to support local SMME sub-contractors. “In their reply, they told us that they were not interested in doing so, forcing members of the organisation to protest. FPI finally agreed to empower the locals.
“It is a pity that we have to protest or fight first. This shows that some businesses do not take transformation seriously. We are going to stop anyone who is refusing to transform and empower local enterprises.”
Midrand Reporter contacted FPI for comment, however, by the time of publication, no response had been received.
