ANCWL says black women-led businesses did not receive Covid-19 relief funding

The president of the ANC’s Women’s League (ANCWL), Bathabile Dlamini, has reportedly said that the organisation has received complaints that black women-led businesses did not get Covid-19 relief funding.

In an interview with Independent Media, Dlamini said most women who applied for the funding had not received it and that the organisation has received many calls complaining about not getting the funding.

Dlamini said these complaints have prompted a partnership with Women of South Africa and other organisations and that President Cyril Ramaphosa will be served in a memorandum, whose signatories include the Black Management Forum, Young Readers Club, and the Young Women’s Network.

She was quoted as saying in instances when black women-led businesses were provided with the funding by financial services institution, the latter’s loan structures make it difficult for the businesswomen to pay back the money, and that this needs to stop.

The Covid-19 Loan Guarantee Scheme was set up to help ease some pressure off qualifying businesses negatively affected by low economic activity following the global lockdown imposed to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.