Sub-council delays with trading licences - business community
Mpho Mokwape | Thursday March 5, 2015 18:08
The business community was allegedly left disgruntled on Tuesday after they were called at the council for a third meeting in a row, which they said did not bear any fruit as it was cancelled.
According to one annoyed businessman, who chose not to identify himself, the situation is so bad they are losing their livelihood due to the closure of their businesses by the authorities.
He told Mmegi that they do not have licences, but have long applied for one while the council is yet to issue any without properly giving them valid reasons.
“This was the third meeting we had to attend, but we got here and we were told it was cancelled and we are not even given any concrete reasons on the cancellation,” he said.
He explained that they were hopeful things would work out so that they can obtain the licences, as they (the licences) helped when inspections were carried out at their premises.
“Now, we are clueless as to when that will happen,” he said.
He further said his business was recently closed as his licence had expired while still awaiting a new one, stressing that most business affected by the delay of licences included agents and salons.
The business community alleged that upon pressing for answers from the council, they were told that the committee presiding over the awarding of licences was not fully functional.
“We were told that the committee on this matter is supposed to comprise of a police officer, and at least two councillors, but right now we are told that none of the people here have been appointed,” said another disgruntled businessman. The community further alleged that the two councillors that were voted at the full council meeting to join the committee belonged to the opposition therefore they have been rejected. “We hear that the councillors were asked to vote again for other councillors but they are having none of that, and here we are losing our businesses because of too much pride,” the businessman said. Efforts to get a comment from the council proved futile as council senior secretary Milton Keitshokile was said to be in a meeting.