Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Spot Coverage >> May 2004

Mangaung to regularize and legalize street vendors

The Mangaung Local Municipality has served notice that by-laws regularizing and legalizing street vendors within its boundaries are to be introduced as from June 2004.
In terms of the proposed by-laws no person may conduct the business of a street trader in a business area without being in possession of a valid street trading identity card issued by the Council. The Council may erect structures on street trading sites in a business area, which structures shall be leased on a monthly basis to the street trader to whom the site have been allocated. Street trading in an area may only be conducted from a street trading site allocated by the Council, and it is prohibited to sell from any site in any garden or park which is zoned as a public or private open space or on a sidewalk adjacent to a building not approved as regards street trading or a spot causing a problem to street or pedestrian traffic or any other spot not approved by the Council.
The following goods may not be sold by street traders : Livestock, pets, reptiles, birds, rabbits, wild animals and poultry, except with the prior written approval of the Council; raw meat or raw fish; any form of alcohol or alcoholic drinks; vehicles, trailers or caravans; any noxious or smelly substance or article that may cause a nuisance; pesticides, insecticides, poisonous and, or hazardous substances; or any counterfeit goods; or goods prohibited by legislation.
A street trader may not sleep overnight at his place of selling; erect any structure at his place of selling, except a device or structure for which written approval has been obtained from the Council on the prescribed form; or carry on his business in such a manner as to create a nuisance or create a traffic hazard or litter, accumulate, dump, etc.
A street trader shall remove every day from any public road or public place at the conclusion of selling, all waste, packaging material, stock and equipment of whatever nature which are utilised in connection with such business. For contraventions of the by-laws, penalties including fines of up to R60 000 or three years imprisonment or R100 per day are being prescribed.
More info from www.mangaung.co.za.

Forklift Truck OFS ook by Nampo

Die nasionale wenner in verkope en diens van vurkhysers, Forklift Truck OFS van Bloemfontein, het vandeesmaand ook 'n uitstalling by die jaarlikse Nampo Oesdag vanaf 18 - 21 Mei 2004 naby Bothaville. Die besturende direkteur van Forklift Truck, Theo Mostert sê hy en sy span sal van die heel nuutste en mees kostedoeltreffende produkte op die mark vertoon en demonstreer.
Hy nooi alle kliënte en belangstellendes om hul daar te besoek. Sy selnommer is 083 228 1995.

Activities planned for the day:
• A Toyota Tazz to be raffled @ R50 per ticket
• A 4x4 Rally - prizes to be won
• The “Oldest running Toyota” present on the day - prize
• The “Funkiest Taxi” - prize
• The “Highest Miler” present on the day - prize
• Watersports
• Animal farm - including baby lions
• Lots of arts & crafts and food stalls - street market
• Game trails on horseback
• “Toll gates” at the three entrances to the town with a R20 entry fee per car - caps, commemorative stickers and other promo material will be handed to drivers
• Various Valentine's balls, dances and dinners - catering for all tastes
• Live entertainment

Houers van bankrekeninge moet verifieer voor 1 Julie 2004

Ingevolge die Wet op die Finansiële Intelligensiesentrum (Fica) moet houers van bankrekenings in Suid-Afrika nie later nie as 30 Junie 2004 hul banke besoek om bewys te lewer van hul persoonlike inligting of hulle loop andersins die gevaar dat hul rekenings op 1 Julie gevries kan word.
Die wet is reeds in 2001 goedgekeur en is in ooreenstemming met internasionale praktyke om onder meer geldwassery te bestry. Fica vereis van banke dat hulle die korrekte inligting van al hul kliënte op rekord moet hê. Die gedeelte van die wet is algemeen bekend as “ken jou kliënt.” Hoewel die aanduidings is dat banke hul bes doen om die sperdatum van 30 Junie 2004 te haal, is die reaksie van kliënte bra louwarm. Banke sê dat die tekort aan publisiteit van die wetgewer het veroorsaak dat daar min bewustheid oor die vereistes van die nuwe wet onder die publiek is. Nogtans, indien die inligting nie voor die sperdatum verskaf is nie, sal banke mense se rekenings moet vries. Die wet bepaal dat banke nie transaksies mag uitvoer indien die identiteit van die kliënt nie bevestig kan word nie.
Die wet bepaal dat rekeninghouers hul banke moet voorsien van bewys van hul identiteit (ID-boek), fisieke woonadres (telefoon/water en elektrisiteitsrekening) en inkomste-/ belastingnommer (salarisstrokie). Mense kan die inligting na enige tak van hul bank neem en nie noodwendig die tak waar hul rekenings is nie. Die bank moet in kennis gestel word van al die rekenings wat in die kliënt se naam is, asook rekenings wat in die naam van hul kinders geopen is.
Daar is vrystelling in die wet vir mense wat nie meer as R5 000 per maand verdien of meer as R25 000 in byvoorbeeld spaargeld het nie. Vir diegene sal bewys van identiteit voldoende wees.
Besighede se besonderhede moet ook herbevestig word. Benewens die besigheid se besonderhede, moet die bank ook mense wat by die besigheid betrokke is, kan identifiseer en hul inligting bevestig. Een van die grootste struikelblokke is dat posadresse nie voldoen aan die vereiste van Fica nie en dat fisieke woonadresse verskaf moet word.
Bankrekeninghouers word dus aangemoedig om onverwyld met hul bank te skakel indien hul persoonlike inligting nog nie in terme van die nuwe wet geverifieer is nie.

Wydste reeks personeeldienste geneem na entrepreneur

Sover bekend word die wydste reeks personeeldienste oftewel menslike hulpbrondienste onder een dak in die Vrystaat en Noord-Kaap aangetref by Effective Personnel te Bloemfontein. Altesaam 16 Departemente van dienslewering, wat so wyd dek as arbeidskonsultasie, dienskontrakte, vakaturevullings, finansiële dienste, VIP betaalstate, IT dienste, opleiding, wetgewingsadvies, ens, word aangebied.
Een van die Direkteure van Effective Personnel, dr. Gert van der Berg, sê wat meer belangrik is, is dat hierdie dienste deur hul verskeidenheid van konsultante op die persele van hul kliënte aangebied word. Hulle besoek dus die werkplek van hul kliënte en lewer daar die diens volgens behoefte en vereiste.
Volgens Van der Berg vereis die mededingendheid van die hedendaagse besigheidsomgewing en gepaardgaande druk deur arbeidswetgewing veral van menslike hulpbronbestuur om 'n leidende rol te speel in die identifisering van nuwe besigheids-geleenthede en die voorbereiding van die organisasie vir verandering. Derhalwe beywer Effective Personnel hulle vir gesonde verhoudinge tussen werkgewer en werknemer, met die klem op effektiewe dienslewering, veral t.o.v. die voltooiing van vaardigheids - en indiensnemingsplanne.
Van der Berg sê Effective Personnel het oor 15 jaar 'n beproefde baanrekord opgebou en van hul kliënte huidiglik sluit in o.m. Bloemwater, Waltons, Oranje Toyota, Bloemgate Total, Laduma Sales & Merchandising, Sputnik Couriers, Pro-Fitment Centre, ens.
Hyself kan geskakel word by selfoon 082 414 4095.

Renewed focus on entrepreneurship development

A renewed focus on entrepreneurship development has been broached at the first meeting of the Management Committee of the newly established Bloemfontein Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). The Committee decided to focus specifically on entrepreneurship development in the SMME sector in its programme of activities for this year. With unemployment figures of the Mangaung area presently standing at between 30% (Bloemfontein) and 40% (Botshabelo), it was felt that the best way in addressing the problem would be by establishing SMME's to supplement initiatives to attract new investors to the region.

Thus BCCI will endeavour to

• assist entrepreneurs, especially entrepreneurs from previously disadvantaged communities, with the development of a feasible product and a viable business;
• provide seed capital to at least 20 new entrepreneurs each year;
• create employment through the establishment of at least 20 new micro and small business in the region; and
• contribute to the objectives of the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment initiatives.
• It is therefore proposed to set up an Empowerment Fund that can be utilized to provide training and start-up financing for at least 10 to 20 new micro/small enterprises in the Bloemfontein/Mangaung area each year over the next five years. If successful, the project could be rolled out to the rest of the province.

The project will be divided into three phases:

• Phase 1 - Short introductory course - very basic with the focus on generating business ideas, creativity and related matters that an entrepreneur should consider when starting a new business.
• Phase 2 - Advanced course - selected candidates will attend advanced entrepreneurship classes spread over 3 weeks.
• Phase 3 - Seed capital for new businesses - the best business plans will be selected and seed capital will conditionally be made available in the form of an interest free loan.

More info from Ronell van der Merwe of BCCI at (051) 447 3368.