Meeting over business licences in Standerton ends in disarray
Councillor Stoltz refuted the statement that council approved the policy and said it was referred back. This was met by a round of applause.
Standerton Town Hall saw the business community walking out in disdain on June 1 after deciding their time is being wasted.
This follows the business licensing meeting that was called.
Lekwa Municipality plans to implement a system where existing and new businesses will have to obtain a licence to trade.
Barbara Sheppard, a community activist and business person, formed a WhatsApp group before the meeting and urged businesses to attend.
Sheppard voiced her dissatisfaction about the property rates’ increase of 160% in 2019 and went on to say the proposed licences do not go hand in hand with what could be expected with payment of property taxes.
She added that many businesses won’t be able to make it, mentioning inter alia load-shedding.
Robert Mkhabela, area development manager of the Lekwa Economic Development Forum (LEDF), did the welcoming in the hall with no microphone to be found, prompting one business person to later say the people couldn’t hear properly.
Councillors Wilma Venter and Corné Stoltz from the Freedom Front Plus, as well as Alberto Franco, Sithi Silosini and Ndabisa Thlakudi from the DA, were present.
The meeting’s purpose was to outline the licensing processes, the levy and the cut-off date for acquiring a licence. Things went south very quickly.
Sizwe Dhlamini, a business person, requested that the valuation roll, bulk contribution and services be added to the agenda.
Mkhabela countered, saying a meeting will be scheduled to discuss these matters. According to him, the Business Act of 1992 will be implemented to get everybody on par with one another. It would be illegal to run a business without a licence.
A question from the audience whether the by-law had been drafted and Gazetted was considered not relevant as council, according to Mkhabela, approved the policy.
A notice was published in the Standerton Advertiser of March 17. Stoltz refuted the statement that council approved the policy and said it was referred back. This was met by a round of applause.
Deon Bekker, councillor in the Gert Sibande District Municipality, asked how anything can be implemented without approval from council.
In an earlier conversation with the newspaper, Bekker said a business licence is not a new concept as different categories were earmarked previously and inspections were done to see whether a business adhered to regulations.
The thorny issue of informal traders on the pavements, who do not pay taxes, will have to be managed as well.
Franco said on June 1 that council approved the policy on November 22 last year. Item A 1 3: 3 was resolved, approved and to be implemented immediately.
