The importance of hope and togetherness were stressed during an open meeting the Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) held with the public.
The online meeting on the Zoom platform was called The Future of Randburg We All Want, and saw scores of business owners, community leaders, ward councillors and security company leaders take part on July 16.
This to address the unrest in South Africa and the role of businesses in this difficult time.
“What happens to businesses in KwaZulu-Natal affects our businesses here and everyone needs to understand that,” said Manjush Mathews, vice president of the chamber.
“Some companies have had to close their doors and this has been a difficult time especially after Covid, load-shedding and lockdown. There is a lot of unemployment in our country and it is the role of businesses to create jobs. We need a positive mindset.”
CEO of the chamber Linda Blackbeard agreed and urged business owners to work with the chamber, share their news and help build the country up.
Likewise, president of RCCI Richard Ntjana welcomed recent developments that did just this.
A positive discussion was held about Randburg Improvement Central, a new organisation started with the aim of rebranding and improving the Randburg CBD.
It replaces the old Randburg Management District and has been working with local government on brave new projects in the area.
“We have added input in the integrated development plan and are about to get office space as we hire new staff and organise events for the area,” explained Mary Gillet-de Klerk, stakeholder relations manager for the Randburg Revitalisation Project.
Businesses were told they could expect exciting things from this endeavour and were encouraged to work alongside it.
Ward 102 councillor David Potter said he was glad business owners were not just sitting around and watching the unrest and other problems on the sidelines. “We should be grateful Randburg has been calm and there have been no real threats of violence and looting,” he said.
“I want to thank the police for keeping an eye on it and communicating to the public. Businesses are important in Randburg and thank businesses owners for cleaning their areas and reporting issues to the City.”
Charles Mphephu, a community activist in Alexandra and chair of the Alexandra Men’s Forum, said unrest affected everyone and he was glad to link up with businesses in Randburg.
“Integration will help us move forward,” he said.
Ward 104 councillor Mike Wood also gave his support to Randburg Improvement Central.
