Durban - THE process of selecting small businesses to benefit from the eThekwini Municipality’s Economic Recovery Fund in response to Covid-19 is nearing completion.
According to the Thulani Nzama, head of the Business Support, Tourism and Markets Unit, they were still busy with the pre-selection phase before they started with the selection.
He said the committee handling the process, consisting of senior executives from the private and public sector, was about to complete the pre-selection phase.
Applications for the fund to assist small businesses that were severely affected by Covid-19 closed at the end of September and more than 5 000 applications were received.
“They are going thorough candidate screening to ensure that enterprises that have benefited from any recovery fund are exempted and to double-check many other things. It must be considered that the Covid-19 challenges played a huge role in delaying the process, with the private sector closing in December. However, be assured that the committee is working around the clock to finalise the process and award deserving candidates,” said Nzama.
Isipingo Business Forum chairperson Junaid Iqbal said they were pleased that the municipality was doing proper screening.
“Businesses that were really affected and deserve funding on merit will benefit and I hope the process will be transparent, that there will be no corruption and nepotism. A humble request to the municipality is to fast-track the finalising of these processes as some small businesses are on the brink of collapse,” said Iqbal.
Informal Vendors Association spokesperson Themba Mkhize said he had his reservations about the time that had lapsed since the closing of these applications.
“What has been going on for all these months after applications closed? Right now, the city feels under pressure to be seen to be doing something to help, even where it was on a small scale. The municipality is under pressure, it's being investigated by the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU). What we have seen at the Zondo Commission about what's happening in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is the same thing happening here in the eThekwini Municipality,” said Mkhize.
IFP exco member Mdu Nkosi echoed Iqbal’s sentiments, saying that he hoped for transparency in the allocation of this fund with no favouritism taking place.
“It will be bad if this municipal fund is used to benefit only the ANC cronies and (does) not look at the needs of those who need it. They must also come up with a system to (help) those who couldn’t apply because they were not familiar with how to apply. We want to see all businesses being assisted, including street vendors. How are they helping them if the municipality is helping everyone?”
DA eThekwini caucus leader Nicole Graham said good infrastructure and functioning services were important in economic growth. She added that businesses were often faced with water and light interruptions.
“People want to invest in a place where there is good infrastructure and services, where there is certainty and safety. The core problem also needs to be addressed.”
Daily News