KwaMashu Business Chamber to the rescue
|Published
Sthembiso Mabanga, one of the co-founders of the KwaMashu Business Chamber. Picture: Supplied
DURBAN - We needed to change how the economy of the township operated, particularly from an ownership-pattern and industrialisation point of view to address the triple challenges of our country.
This is according to one of the 15 co-founders of the KwaMashu Business Chamber, Sthembiso Mabanga, who said the establishment of the chamber was the beginning of creating an ideal future as imagined by the youth.
“In 2019 we convened a meeting between business people that were either born in KwaMashu or were currently based in KwaMashu. We all had the desire to see ourselves play a more active role in the ownership of business opportunities and the economic participation of KwaMashu in the larger South African economy,” said Mabanga.
He said that the idea of the chamber, coined two years ago, was the product of research and consultations with the relevant stakeholders including civil society, church members, political organisations, and business owners that operated in the township.
“We took the decision that the establishment of the chamber was widely supported. We also had an engagement with the Black Business Federation. We pinned together how we could change the narrative and act in an orderly fashion and address issues of poverty, unemployment and inequality in the township,” Mabanga said.
“The point was, how do you create an environment where you increase the quality of lives of the people living in the townships. In doing so, you must work in a co-ordinated manner with all stakeholders without the relationships deteriorating into mistrust. That is how the chamber was established.”
The chamber has communicated with sectors that could help re-establish some of the businesses that were affected during the July unrest.
“Recently, the chamber brought relevant stakeholders to my garage, including the UIF. I had the chance to question them about what is taking so long about the funds that we are awaiting as businesses,” says Malusi Xulu, the owner of a Total petrol station in KwaMashu.
Xulu said the chamber was looking out for black-owned businesses who lacked access to information and whose growth was limited.
Siyanda Kamanga, a pharmacist in the Medi-Care medical centre which was looted during the unrest, said he could not express how happy he was at having been approached by the chamber.
“We have applied to receive funding for all the costs incurred by the looting spree. I am so happy that the chamber brought to our attention all the channels and connections that we need to explore to get the help we need,” said Kamanga.
The chamber, a non-profit body, engages with government departments such as the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition along with other public entities including the Greater North Taxi Owners’ Association and faith organisations to bring relief to the businesses of KwaMashu. The chamber is also in the process of establishing a KwaMashu Community Trust.
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