New hope

A new business association is to be launched in Standerton soon.
The Lekwa Local Business and Contractors Development Association is a non-profit, non-political organisation registered with the Department of Social Development.
They invited business people to a meeting aimed at introducing the association at the Standerton Town Hall last Friday.
According to Mr France Mahlangu, founder, the purpose was to present the structure to the local business community.

They wanted to elect the interim committee that will continue with the mission of officially launching the structure and to openly declare their commitment to racial harmony.
“We want the different races within Lekwa to work together to develop Standerton,” Mr Mahlangu said.
In his presentation he touched on many issues that are preventing development in Lekwa and growth of local businesses and contractors.

According to him, the main cause of businesses failing in town is because business people cannot work together.

“Big tenders in Lekwa are given to outsiders and those outsiders call other contractors to become sub-contractors.
“They do the job and as soon as they are done they leave and you find that local people do not benefit,” he said.
Mr Mahlangu expressed his disappointment after the turnout of whites, coloureds and Indians was not as expected.

The objectives of the association are:

• To see all local people in business participate in local economic development programmes and activities.
• To see the association developing a member to access tender opportunities.
• Create a vast local database of only affiliated local businesses and contractors and submit it to industries for database registration to get tender opportunities and submit quotations.
• To make sure outside-appointed contractors treat local contractors with respect and dignity, including punctual payments to local sub-contractors.
• To formalise the local business sectors, thereby ensuring that quality, excellency and professionalism are instilled in all affiliated members when conducting business.

• To succeed in creating formal written partnerships with local industries for all current and future tenders, where projects are registered to their database in which only affiliated members can benefit.

The association was founded after realising that local economic development is not favourable to everyone.

“We hereby form ourselves to correct the imbalances and ensure the local economic activities, programmes and opportunities benefit everyone, blacks, whites, Indians and coloureds,” Mr Mahlangu said.

Their vision is to strive towards making sure that all local contractors and businesses participate in local economic projects and tenders, private or public, with equal opportunities and thereby ensuring growth and development of the communities and the entire Lekwa.