Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Spot Coverage >> October 2002
16 - 18 October at East London would be the scene of the 2002 Annual Convention of SACOB - generally expected to be a watershed event for the largest body for organized business in South Africa. Of the current some 100 000 businesses and corporates affiliated with a recognized body of organized business, SACOB represents some 40 000 members. To obtain an idea of what could perhaps be expected at the coming SACOB Annual Convention and the ramifications it could have for business in general in SA, The Business Bulletin approached the CEO of SACOB, Mr. Kevin Wakeford, with the following questions:
Could the upcoming SACOB Annual Convention be regarded as of watershed significance with some groundbreaking resolutions to be adopted and, if so, how would you summarize the motivation of your views?
The Convention will be important because the future structure of the chamber movement in South Africa will be debated and agreed on. In addition the issue of chamber unity and the role SACOB will play in bringing business together under one umbrella will undoubtedly be discussed. Furthermore, the role SACOB will play in NEPAD will be determined.
Could you just dot down five of the most important issues on which resolutions at the Convention will have to be adopted?
Important resolutions are likely to cover:
• An appeal to government to expedite land restitution as we wish to avoid a crisis similar to that in Zimbabwe
• Competitive pricing policies with a call on the Competition Commission to investigate monopoly pricing tendencies in the country
• A call on the relevant state authorities to ensure that investment in infrastructure takes place to strengthen exports
• The way forward for the chamber movement in the country
• Ways of strengthening relationships with other business organisations, government and other institutions and stakeholders with the objective of making SACOB more relevant to the South African business community.
In a nutshell the situation vis-à-vis Nafcoc (and is the latter hence to be SACOB or Safcoc)?
On 20 September 2001 SACOB signed a transitional unity agreement with NAFCOC, establishing a transitional vehicle, SAFCOC. Due to NAFCOC internal conflict and leadership divisions, SAFCOC never developed as an proper transitional vehicle for chamber unity. On 21 September 2002 SACOB reconfirmed the same agreement with a united NAFCOC and its new leadership at its Convention. SAFCOC as a transitional model has now ceased to exist and a new arrangement for operational co-operation between NAFCOC and SACOB during the transitional period, to effect unity between the two organisations, will be a first step. The commitment by both organisations to unite remains and we believe that the unity process, to establish a truly non-racial chamber movement, remains imperative to address the peculiar needs of business at local and regional level.
Again in a nutshell, how do you see the chamber movement in SA evolving within the next three years?
Organised business in South Africa in general, and the South African Chamber movement in specifically, is haemorrhaging! Our strategies, systems and engagement models are dysfunctional. In the midst of this decay and irrelevance, the vast majority, possibly as many as 3.5 million business entities in our country, remain voiceless and disconnected from the platforms of organised business. This is simply unacceptable.
The SME and independent business sectors remain largely unserviced, with little or no access to critical requirements such as local and regional economic development leadership, access to loan capital, trade and investment information, match-making and business intelligence. The skewed and disproportionate representation serves sectoral interests as illustrated by the inputs and outcomes of bodies such as the Millennium Labour Council, Big Business Working Group, Business South Africa and Nedlac. Platforms to voice issues and lobby continue to be dominated by the large corporates and sectorally constituted organisations. The small and medium enterprise sector of our economy believe that affiliation to institutions such as SACOB is of little or no value, as by the time their voice is heard, the message has been diluted by that of 'big business'.
Chambers across the spectrum, including AHI, NAFCOC and SACOB, are undercapacitated, with no common service standard, no common unifying brand, they remain under-resourced, have no collective values system, and arguably most importantly, no profile of value-adding products and services. This debilitating set of circumstances calls for immediate intervention with regard to building adequate levels of capacity, and mechanisms for services delivery and authoritative advocacy. We need to extend our reach by building capacity at a national level in order to deliver at local and regional levels. A national marketing, branding and recruitment campaign is critical to the achievement of an extension of reach. Through a debit order driven 'back-end', membership dues should be channelled into the national fiscus of organised business, with revenue then being allocated to recapacitate chambers throughout the country.
We are pleading for a dramatic shift of paradigm. However, we are not positing an alternative strategy as to how organised business in South Africa is configured with regard to policy advocacy at a national level. Our plan is to move from the limited constituency of the large corporates to the domain of unlimited relevancy of the independent business and emerging business sectors.
DIE Handelsmisdaad-bestrydingskomitee (HMBK) in die Vrystaat waarsku dat wanneer 'n belegging te goed klink op waar te wees, dit gewoonlik so is. Die komitee wie hom beywer vir die bestryding van witboordjie-misdaad deur voorligting en bewusmaking, se waarskuwing volg na 'n vlaag piramide en hoë opbrengs skemas wat die land tref. Volgens mnr Derek Foster, voorsitter, teer hierdie tipe misdadigers op mense se dikwels beperkte kennis van finansiële stelsels en word astronomiese rentekoerse op 'n maandelikse basis voorgehou. Beleggings word gewoonlik “gewaarborg” en is “risiko vry”, terwyl voornemende beleggers deel is van 'n “uitgesoekte” groepie mense. 'n Algemene minimum belegging word gewoonlik ook spesiaal aangepas vir 'n beperkte tydperk en individue word versoek om 'n paar vriende saam te nooi.
Die komitee sê dat 'n piramide skema in wese bedrog is en die konstante werwing van nuwe deelnemers verg wie dan voorafbepaalde bedrae moet betaal waarop die top individue in die skema winste of rente sal verdien. Eersdaags is die nuwe deelnemer, volgens die werwer, ook in daardie posisie. Vroeër of later stort die piramide in duie vanweë die feit dat daar nie genoeg nuwe deelnemers by die skema aansluit om die top struktuur se verwagte winste of rentes te betaal nie.
Foster sê dat mense agterdogtig moet wees teenoor hoë opbrengs skemas wat beloof om meer winste of rente uit te keer as wat groter, gevestigde finansiële instellings kan aanbied. Hy verwys ook na die bepalings van die Bankwet wat die vordering van deposito's vanaf die algemene publiek verbied, tensy die organisasie as 'n bank of diskontohuis by die Reserwebank geregistreer is. Hoewel piramide skemas nie as sulks verbied word nie, plaas die Wet 'n beperking op sekere onwettige deposito-nemende aktiwiteite wat die skemas dikwels bedryf. Volgens Foster kan slagoffers van die skemas met die SAPD se Handelstak of die Registrateur van Banke in verbinding tree en slagoffers moet hulle nie laat afskrik deur die vertroulikheids-klousules wat hulle by die skemas geteken het nie, aangesien dit deel uitmaak van 'n onwettige ooreenkoms. Slagoffers voel dikwels skuldig en verkeer onder die indruk dat hulle verkeerd opgetree het. Foster sê dat hierdie 'n wanopvatting is en daartoe lei dat slagoffers nie met owerheids-instansies in verbinding tree nie. Dit is eerder raadsaam om so gou as moontlik met 'n aansoek om 'n vergoedingsbevel voort te gaan.
Mense moet hulle nie 'n gat in die kop laat praat om van hul swaarverdiende geld ontslae te raak nie. Doen navraag alvorens die groot stap geneem word.
Vir meer inligting kan Foster by tel. (051) 503 4100 gekontak word of kan belangstellendes die komitee se webblad by www.fraudfree.co.za besoek.
THE Free State Dept. of Tourism, Economic and Environmental Affairs has also acquired its own head office in one single building - the Sediba Building in Markgraaf Street, Bloemfontein (across the SABC). The Department, consisting of directorates such as trade and industry, tourism, environmental affairs, SMME development, consumer affairs, liquor affairs, etc. and hitherto scattered in the city, is to move in phases into their new HQ as from 1 November 2002. The offices of the MEC and the HOD are also to be located in the Sediba Building.
IN a media release, the Free State Department of Public Works, Roads & Transport says it is concerned about the poor maintenance and state of schools around the Free State, which can be attributed to a number of reasons including limited funds from government, vandalisation of school property by the community as well as large pupil populations and insufficient parental and community involvement. To address these concerns, MEC Sekhopi Malebo has embarked on a programme of assisting schools to refurbish and face-lift their schools by donating paint and related materials as part of the Department's Letsema programme. Letsema is about invoking a spiit of volunteerism and civic responsibility and in this spirit of co-operation the Department from 22-27 September, provided schools with paint and cleaning equipment to paint schools and clean grounds. Mr Malebo also handed out certificates to those who participated in the campaign, while assessors will visit schools afterwards to evaluate the amount and quality of work done and to ensure that the Department's resources are well utilized.
More particulars from Ms B. Silwana at tel. 051- 4054226, fax 051-4054394.
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