Are we still on track, I wonder? Have we, as Small Business Owners, been bogged down in the red tape and all the regulations that seem to abundantly abound, forcing us to think twice about hiring staff or actually even starting a business - or are we slowly, but painfully trudging towards a common goal?
There is much debate on the subject, in several ways - Government has tried to make it easier for SMME's to florish, there are tax breaks and the like, yet the red tape that has to be negotiated and waded through is a "field of landmines". It is often difficult to understand what it is that is required in order for us to be compliant with Government Legislation because there does not seem to be one place where we can get all the information that we need. It is fragmented and it is only through sheer determination that we somehow get through to the other end!
Yip, owning your Own Business in the new South Africa is definitely not for sissies!
18 July 2007 at 11h00
We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success. We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign.
We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success. We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfil themselves. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign.
- from Nelson Mandela's speech at his inauguration Pretoria May 10 1994. It is significant that in his first address to the nation, former president Mandela included a plea for job creation, and for the dignity and independence that come with having job. His words, "Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all" were the precursors of a number of initiatives, both during his presidency and since, aimed at tackling the problem of unemployment.
These programmes have had mixed success in the years that followed, but Madiba's commitment to job creation and his belief that work for all is essential if the inequalities of the past are to be removed and country is to prosper, has never been in question. Mandela was later to say: "To build a better life for everyone in the country requires a clear plan. It also requires that we rise above the narrow interests and do what is best for the country. "We have to harness our resources in ways that will ensure that our economy grows and creates jobs and opportunities for all South Africans. "Our plan," he said, "rests on four key pillars:
"We want a democratic society based on equality, non-racialism and non-sexism; we want a nation built by developing our different cultures, beliefs and languages as a source of common strength; we want an economy which grows through providing jobs, housing and education; we want a peaceful and secure environment in which people can live without fear." Once again, there is the stress on job provision, and with it a recognition of the importance of education.
On the topic of education Mandela said: "Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another." Perhaps the most significant job creation project undertaken in former president Mandela's term of office came right at the of it - the jobs summit of 1998.
The summit was held under the auspices of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) and it brought together all the stakeholders - government, organised labour and representatives of major business - to discuss ways in which job creation could be stimulated.The jobs summit agreements fell into five broad categories. There are agreements relating to:
Job Creation in Sectors of the Economy - These agreements strengthen the ability of economic sectors to create jobs. They include small business promotion, development of the tourism sector and the encouragement of sector summits in sectors threatened by job loss or have the potential for job creation.
The Labour Market and Human Resource Development for Job Creation - These agreements aim to raise the level of skills in the labour market. They encourage the building of human resource capacity through the piloting of learnerships provided for in the Skills Development Act.
Special Employment Programmes - These programmes aim to create jobs in the short term, while building infrastructural and human resources that are critical to sustaining long term growth.
Job Creation in the Integrated Provincial Projects - These agreements aim to strengthen job creation efforts in areas of high social need which have potential for economic growth.
Financing - The Nedlac parties undertook to make resources available for the implementation of the agreements as well as for broader job creation initiatives. Government agreed to provide resources via the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Umsobomvu Youth Fund.
Business initiated a trust fund to support education, training and tourism projects. Labour established a trust fund based on one day's wages donated by workers. The Proudly South African campaign, now back on track, was born at the summit and several of the projects, for example the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). Although the programme (EPWP) was formally announced by President Thabo Mbeki in his State of the Nation Address in February 2003, it had its origin in the Jobs Summit of 1998. Should those targets be met we will be well on the way to fulfilling Madiba's plea: "Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all."
As we celebrate his 89th birthday it is perhaps a good time for all those who can make a difference to renew their commitment to building the nation through job creation.
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