| The Eastern Cape leg of the policy and legislation awareness campaign of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), yielded positive results and influenced the community significantly. This was said by the Director of Stakeholder Relations at the dti, Mr Simphiwe Kondleka, who was reflecting on the impact of a three-day information sharing exercise, which concluded in Makhanda yesterday. The programme was also rolled out to Jeffrey’s Bay and Dimbaza.
The campaign was born out of the realisation that most community members lacked comprehensive understanding of the dti laws and regulations, more especially those residing in the deep rural areas.
“Our aim was to bridge the gap between the underprivileged communities and those who are privy to the information. The reception we received in all the areas we visited was overwhelming. However, there remains a lot of work to be done for all the citizens to know and understand these laws and access them for their protection. We remain committed to working with the municipalities and other key stakeholders to empower the public,” said Kondleka.
He added that it was encouraging to see community members participating in the sessions and asking questions.
“It gives us a moral boost to do more as we are heading towards the busy festive season and Black Friday with most consumers succumb to high levels of consumerism and impulsive buying. ” added Kondleka.
A community member in Makhanda, Ms Nomalungisa Dimaza singled out company registration offered by Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and funding opportunities from National Lotteries Commission (NLC) as her top two highlights from the presentations.
“I was impressed to learn that as an entrepreneur I can now formalise my business through registration with CIPC for as little as R175 and not the thousands of rand that we are charged by consultants. This will also enable me to contribute towards the growth of township economy. It goes without saying that funding opportunities availed by NLC for arts, culture and sport will be vital for non-profit organisations because lots of activities take place in our community but due to lack of financial backing many fail to progress,” she added.
The national roadshow will continue early next year where it will focus on Western Cape townships of Vredenburg, Malmesburg and Swellendam.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe-Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: (012) 394 1650
Mobile: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Issued by: The Department of Trade and Industry
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