June2014

Circle of Concern Magazine Issue 3 | June 2014

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R19.50 ISSN 2310-8827

Renewable energy

posing opportunities

How to Make

Money on

Identity crises

In Technology

June 2014

ISSU

E 0

03

Social|Economical|Political Minded Leaders

Turning a

Diss to a dime

Home –Based

Businesses

PETITION To Parliament

Tricky L

Economic roles

Of youth


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Dear South Africa 6

Turning a Diss into a Dime 10

Renewable energy posing opportunities 14

Home-Based businesses 20

National Credit Act 24

Effective Marketing strategies for

Small businesses 26

Did you know? 30

How to make money on YouTube? 32

Identity crises in technology 36

Renewable energy posing

opportunities for Sustainable

Entrepreneurs

Editorial Letter

Finance & Business

Law & Economics

Entrepreneurship

Social & Politics

Is BBBEE still relevant? 40

How to write a petition to parliament 44

Our parliament 50

Our role models, Good or Bad? 53

CONTENTS


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THE MAGAZINE TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Komane Golden | [email protected]

JUNIOR EDITOR

Molebogeng Mashobane | [email protected]

FINANCE EDITOR

Kulani Mhlanga | [email protected]

LAW & ECONOMICS EDITOR

Donald Msiza | [email protected]

WRITERS

Athi-Enkosi Majavu

Simphiwe Nkosi

Bongani Rakgalakane

Prince Moeng

Andrew Sako

Marvin Malaka

PHOTOGRAPHER

Reinhard Nell

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Simphiwe Nkosi | [email protected] | 071 328 7107

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CATHEL Group (Pty) Ltd | [email protected] | www.cathelgroup.co.za

Services

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Due Diligences

Feasibility and Viability

Studies

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ment Consulting

Turn Around Plans

Business Training Includ-

ing: Workshops, seminars

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Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of this mag-

azine, its editor or its publishers. The mention of specific products in articles or advertisements does not imply

that they are endorsed or recommended by Circle of Concern Magazine or its publishers in presence to others

of a similar nature, which are not mentioned or advertised. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of

editorial content, the publishers do not accept responsibility for omissions, errors or any consequences that

may arise therefrom. Reliance on any information contained in this publication is at your own risk. The publish-

ers make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the correctness or suitability of the infor-

mation contained and/ or the products advertised in this publication. The publisher shall not be held liable for

any damages or loss arising , incurred by readers of this publication or any/ other person/s. The publisher dis-

claim all responsibility and liability for any damages, including pure economic loss and any damages, resulting

from the use of any service or product advertised in this publication. Readers of this publication indemnify and

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or other proceedings made by any third party and arising out of or in connection with the use of any services

and/or products or the reliance of any information contained in this publication.

mailto:[email protected]


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Third Issue!!! Ka Boom The journey was quite hard and sour but the persevering team made it

to the destination. Our dream of preaching the gospel of entrepreneur-

ship is going well so far, given the fact that this is our third issue. It all

came together with the support of our families, friends and READERS. I

just want to remind you that living a dream should be a priority and be

pigeonholed if possible. It is not easy but it worth doing. Be what you

want to be not what people expect to be. It is nice to wake up and do

what you love most. Les Brown once said that most people do not real-

ise that many people die of heart attack on Monday morning between

8 am to 9 am because they go work they do not like.

I wish you realise your potential and start investing not only time but

passion as well. I personally discovered that passion is the most power-

ful resource that it is not used globally. I came to that conclusion be-

cause the majority of us think that success it is all about having materi-

al things or being a billionaire. We forget what we love most. It is all

about money, money, money and money.

I have few books to recommend but if you have read them, page

through again. Understand the impact of political leadership on our

economy by reading Animal Farm written by George Orwell, Mastery

by the powerful writer Robert Green, who also authored 48 Laws of

Power and Thirty-three Strategies of War and Where has My Ceiling

Gone? By Warren Veenman and Sally Eichhorst.

I don't have much to say about June 16 but I wish everyone remem-

bers those who have died for this freedom and celebrate in a dignified

way. #Maibuye iAfrika

Editor-In-Chief

Komane Golden Tshegofatso

EDITORIAL NOTE


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Dear Golden,

I read your article in the Circle of Concern entitled 'the silent death of spaza shops'. At the end of the article, you pose the question "Do you believe that spaza shops are dying slowly but surely?"

At the beginning of your article, you mentioned that the possible imminent death of spaza shops is brought forth by the urbanization of the townships and rural areas in which these mini shops operate. This observation underscores the many flaws that plague the business models with which these busi-nesses operate.

Ultimately, their (spaza shops) "sell" was initially their close proximity to their consumers. Now that bigger players in the industry, with more professional setups, enter the areas in which the operations of the spaza shops are based, they are easily threat-ened because of many factors including the lack of exhibiting professional. It is not a sustainable busi-ness strategy to rely on close relationships with your customers.

You also mentioned that these bigger supermarkets sell their items at lower prices; this brings me to my

next point...the revenue models under which the spaza shops are run. They charge very high prices because of adding a mark-up to a price that already has a mark-up; this is a consequence of buying their stock from wholesalers and not directly from manu-facturers like the larger retailers do.

This reveals yet another flaw to their business mod-els: they are simply too small to compete. The size problem is further intensified by the lack of ambition to grow that the spaza shops exhibit. Growth of a business operation is paramount to the reduction of costs, which in turn enables one to compete with other businesses in their market and beyond.

My conclusion is that no matter how confident the spaza shop owners are, under the current business model and strategy, they are destined for failure. We have too many spaza shops, with the exception of those owned by Somalian nationals, which operate independently of each other. Only if, I believe, the spaza shops were amalgamated into one or a few businesses would they have a fighting chance.

Regards.

Siyavuya Majavu

Write to the Editor

Express yourself by writing a letter to the editor. The editor reserves the

right to edit and make changes where necessary. The opinion expressed by

readers is not that of Circle of Concern and printers of the magazine.

Please write in a language that is free from racism, sexism and does not

promote hatred. Letters are not published on first come first serve basis.

All the letters must be directed to the following email:

[email protected]

REWIND


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074 955 1704

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Turning

a diss

Into a

Dime

Letlhogonolo Mthombeni

Entrepreneur, music producer

and professional DJ

AKA Tricky L

COVER STORY


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By Marvin Malaka

Letlhogonolo Mthombeni was born and raised

in Ramogodi near Ga-Rankuwa. He then attend-

ed primary school at Polonia Primary School and

matriculated in the year 2006 at Modiri High

School. He is a professional DJ and clothing label

founder, an entrepreneur in summary.

He shares that during his primary years he used

to have ideas about business but it only came to

fruition in the year 2011. “It started early 2011

when I used to post Facebook statuses about

the Dandatic idea, but then I realised that there

could be a business out of this because I saw

people being interested in the messages I used

to share”, said Letlhogonolo.

Apparently this is how the Dandatic clothing la-

bel came to being. Well known as Tricky within

the entertainment industry he now co-owns the

clothing label that is gradually growing since its

inception in the year 2011. He now runs his

clothing label with his partner and business as-

sociate Solomon Molebalwa who came in the

year 2012 to assist in growing the brand.

COVER STORY


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Describing his clothing wear he says,

“I took something negative and

turned it into something positive a

business idea” said Letlhogonolo. He

further elaborated that this is only

the beginning of greater things to

come as the label is only 4years in ex-

istence and is still working on it to

date since its humble beginnings. The

clothing line includes T-Shirts, Caps,

Hoodies and bucked hats. For those

who would love to own one of the

apparels can always visit clothing and

record stores like Hip Hop Joint, Fore-

al records and multi-racial records. It

is always inspiring when young peo-

ple conquer their fears by leaving

their dreams.

COVER STORY


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Besides running a clothing label he is a professional

DJ who has made a name for himself as a Soulful

House DJ; he is well known as Tricky L. Since then

he’s been playing in major gigs throughout South Af-

rica alongside local and international DJ’s like Vinny

da Vinci, Oskido, Louis Vega and Ralf Gum to mention

but a few. Tricky L

stands out from crowd

of DJ’s because of his

unique blend of music

with his clothing brand

that is on huge de-

mand. Let us call it en-

trepreneurship. Alt-

hough he did not study

business at school, he

highlighted that he

knows a bit about it

that helps him to man-

age his business.

He advised youngsters

about the importance

of having a bit of edu-

cational background related to what you are planning

to pursue as a business. “It is very important doing

some short course more especially for people inter-

ested in the entertainment industry, they should be

knowledgeable about what they are doing” He em-

phasised.

He attributes his success in music to his role model Vinny da Vinci whom he says played a pivotal role in him being where he is today. Vinny is like a brother to me, I can receive a random call from him anytime, he said. American rapper Shawn Corey Carter also in-spires him, “Jay Z is my ultimate inspiration because he also does what I do, he owns a clothing label and does Hip Hop music and DJ Sbu because of his work ethic”, Letlhogonolo said.

DJ Miggs, Positive K, and Nastee Nev also had a major

influence in his career by mentoring him within the

entertainment industry. He has been fortunate

enough to work at a record label, then known as Da

Joint in Tshwane were he started as a volunteer, he

then became a salesman selling records. From then

the owner after seeing his commitment and passion

promoted him to buying music from abroad. “That’s

when I realised

that music is uni-

versal because I

used to order LP’s

in Germany, New

York and France, I

then began to dis-

tinguish difference

of sounds and I

gained a lot of ex-

perience.”, he said.

He is a Disc jockey

who knows his mu-

sic very well; de-

scribing his selec-

tions as timeless

music that you can

listen to even after

5 years and still feel the same. He further said that his

music is soulful and touchy, with vocals, a bit of a

drum and bass line.

COVER STORY


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ccording to International Energy Agen-

cy, more than one-third of people in

the world start life without access to

electricity and clean fuels for cooking,

heating and lighting. The question that one asks

now is how can electricity affect economic growth

and does renewable ener-

gy pose opportunities for

entrepreneurs? Institute

of Development Studies

states that nearly 1.3 bil-

lion people, close to one-

fifth of the world’s popula-

tion, have no access to

electricity. Lack of access

to efficient modern energy

has a significant impact on

economic development

and small-scale enterprise,

educational opportunities,

infant mortality, gender equality and quality of life.

The above indicate that there is a gap in the market

for entrepreneurs to exploit and bring forth eco-

nomic growth. Renewable energies, such as wind,

solar, and geothermal technologies, increasingly

pose significant, if novel economic opportunities to

revitalise rural communities and steer them onto

cleaner, more sustainable paths. What has often left

out of public conversations, however, is how private

businesses and entrepreneurs might step up and

dare to navigate the renewable energy develop-

ment process, especially in communities that have

not hosted renewable

energy projects before.

There is an emerging

concept called sustaina-

ble entrepreneur

+ship, which provides an

informative lens for un-

covering insights about

how renewable energy

development can create

a “win-win” for both en-

trepreneurs and local

communities.

Sustainable entrepreneurship is defined as the ex-

ploitation of business opportunities to create goods

and services that sustain the natural and/or commu-

nal environment and provide economic and social

gains for others (Patzelt and Shepherd 2011).

Renewable energy pos-ing opportunities for Sustainable Entrepre-neurs

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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in a 2013 review of 4,640 medical facilities in 11

countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 26% had no elec-

tricity. Doctors and midwives delivering babies use

whatever poor-quality lighting is available — kero-

sene lanterns, candles and even mobile phones —

or do it in the dark. New-borns can be scarred by

dripping candle wax. Mothers die from treatable

conditions. This makes us realise that entrepre-

neurship is not about wealth creation only but cor-

respondingly about bringing solutions to problems.

Whereas traditional entrepreneurship uses finance

and business acumen to transform innovations into

economic goods (such as new products or technol-

ogies) for business gains, by contrast, sustainable

entrepreneurship leverages those business skills to

transform environmentally-protective innovations

(such as renewable energy) into economic and so-

cial gains for the entrepreneurs and other relevant

groups, such as local host communities.

Even small interventions can save lives. When Laura

Stachel, an obstetrician in California, travelled to

northern Nigeria in 2008, her torch helped local

doctors to finish an emergency Caesarean section

when the power went out. Back home, she and her

husband developed a portable solar electric system

— a 'solar suitcase' — to provide power for lighting,

laptops, phones and small medical devices The sys-

tems cost about US$5,000, including transport, in-

stallation and training. Hundreds are now used in

clinics in 30 countries and have cut maternal deaths

by as much as 70% in some cases.

The global threat posed by climate change means

that we also face the pressing need to use less car-

bon in existing energy systems. Making progress on

both energy poverty and decarbonisation requires

a sharp increase in renewable electricity produc-

tion, both on and off-grid. The Evidence of Benefits

for Poor People of Increased Renewable Electricity

Capacity: Literature Review states that investments

in renewable electricity-generating capacity have

benefitted poor people.

Ensuring renewable energy benefits people living in

poverty rests on four factors:

Once electricity is generated, it needs to be reli-

ably fed into the system.

This additional supply must be made accessible,

and affordable, for poor people.

Increased electricity consumption then needs to

translate into poverty reduction.

Increased electricity supply can indirectly re-

duce poverty by boosting economic growth.

Rapid improvements in low-carbon energy technol-

ogies have made 'green growth' an attractive devel-

opment path for emerging economies, without ru-

inous increases in carbon emissions. In the past few

years, clean-energy alternatives have become prac-

tical and affordable in many places — often cheap-

er than the dirty and dangerous fuels currently in

use. The market for such products exists: an esti-

mated $37 billion is spent each year on kerosene

for lighting and conventional cooking fuels such as

charcoal — not far from the $48 billion a year

thought to be required to achieve universal access

to modern energy services.

Where financing opportunities exist, a new breed

of clean-energy entrepreneurs is emerging. The

Global Alliance for Clean Cook stoves, also led by

the UN Foundation, aims to create a global market

for clean and efficient household stoves, with the

goal of reaching 100 million households by 2020.

The alliance is working with nearly 1,000 public,

non-profit and private partners to drive invest-

ment, support entrepreneurs, conduct research

and enhance testing of clean stoves in dozens of

countries.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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Innovative financing is needed to overcome the

high capital cost of installing renewable-energy

systems. Investments in energy-access projects

and products must be coupled with assistance

in managing a growing business. Local banks

must become more familiar with energy technol-

ogies and with lending to small and medium-

size enterprises, including working capital to

support expansion.

The Global Alliance for Clean Cook stoves has

launched several specialized funds to help en-

trepreneurs to grow in the sector. Techniques

for channelling large-scale finance to multiple

small-scale projects are needed. 'Green bonds',

such as those issued by the International Fi-

nance Corporation, offer a low-risk investment

proposition to finance clean energy and low-

carbon projects and thus bundle and securitize

debt. Partial loan guarantees have also been

used to support energy projects. For example,

the African Development Bank provided a par-

tial guarantee for a wind-power project in Kenya

to protect against political risks of delay or de-

fault.

A few years ago General Electric welcomed in-

novation by inviting anyone to submit ideas for

“powering the grid” and “powering the home.”

GE and its venture capital partners received

5,000 business plans and invested $140 million

in a range of businesses. Many other compa-

nies like Heineken, Lufthansa and Unilever

have used contests and open innovation initia-

tives to try to solve problems in energy, water,

packaging and logistics.

Two mega challenges in particular -- extreme

weather (driven by climate change) and intense

pressure on resources -- are raising the cost of

“business as usual” and forcing deep changes

or what I’m calling a “big pivot” in how we oper-

ate. Entrepreneurs can pivot as well; they can

save money, reduce risk and drive innovation in

their own businesses. But more importantly,

they can ride the tide of deep shifts in markets,

help larger entities transition, and profit in the

process and help bring about a more prosper-

ous world. Humanity is facing new, enormous

pressures that threaten our ability to create a

thriving global economy.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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By Komane Golden

BE A CHAMPION

CONQUER YOUR

LIFE

BY LIVING


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EDITORIAL LETTER


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Annexure ads

Full Page

Sized Prod-

ucts

Half

Page

Sized

Prod-

ucts


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T here are a lot of peo-

ple working from

home and the number

of people who wanted

to jump on the same bandwagon

increases in fast pace. Working

from home gives you comfort and

flexible time. With this, you can

work even in your pyjamas and

you work on your own pace, free-

dom. You even get to dictate how

much you will earn for the day as

there are no limits. So long as you

know the value of hard work and

discipline, you are sure to earn as

much or even more than what

office workers do. You can work

soon after you wake up, in be-

tween chores or while you are

watching your children play.

Many people have different rea-

sons as to why they want to work

at home. One of the hippest

trends today when it comes to

venturing into business is a home

-business because of its practical

benefits to entrepreneurs.

Home-Based

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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COSMETIC Starting a home based

cosmetic business is one

of the ideal investments.

Being passionate in crea-

tive artworks including

putting make up on face

can bring you a success-

ful business. You need patience, intelligence, time, and

effort to establish a business like this .Of course, passion

is not enough to start a home based cosmetic business.

You should also have knowledge on how to operate this

type of business. Establishing a home cosmetic business

is a gate way for those who are just staying at home all

day to earn additional income. If you are creative

enough and industrious, a wealth and proper estab-

lished cosmetic home business could even provide

enough profit to give a person sufficient disposable in-

come for financial independence. When you want to

build a business like this, the first thing you may consider

is the type of cosmetic products you are going to sell and

the environment or business location. It will be unreason-

able to start a luxurious cosmetic business in rural area,

where the majority are struggling soften slice of bread.

Therefore, you must create and examine a line of cos-

metic items. The items must perfectly be economical and

in demand or greatly enhance the items that already ex-

ist. Remember, customers provide you honest comments

regarding the quality and value of the products. So, offer

friends or other people to review the products and any

suggestions for improvement.

If you are planning to have a home

based business that can provide you

with several benefits, especially in tax,

so that you can really save a lot of mon-

ey then having a home-based business

is something to consider. In order for

you to ascertain the success in your

business, you should always implement

tax saving techniques. Just before you

start your business, it is very important

that identify the most beneficial setup

for it by simply consulting a tax attorney

or accountant. The following are some

of the benefits of working from home

according to INVESTOPEDIA: The tax

benefits of operating a home office can

be lucrative. If your situation qualifies,

you can deduct a portion of your home's

expenses, such as mortgage interest,

property taxes, utilities and repairs and

maintenance, against your business in-

come.

To qualify, your home office must be

your principal place of business and you

can only deduct the proportionate

amounts of the total expense which are

directly related to your business. Alt-

hough you cannot create a loss with

your home office expenses, you can car-

ry them forward to future tax years if

you do not have enough business in-

come to use them up in the current

year. Healthcare for you and for the em-

ployees is considered a deductible ex-

pense. But there are limitations in this

matter so you can check with a tax con-

sultant or accountant. There are other

possible deductions for a home based

business which include the business

portion of the home expenses. But in

order to know the amount you can

claim, you need to calculate the total

space used for the business.

“Entrepreneurship is not a career but a religion” Komane Golden Tshegofatso

http://www.startupbizhub.com/start-a-cosmetics-company.htm


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RECYCLING

Recycling is encouraged by the gov-

ernment in most of the countries.

That is why, recycling business not

only supported by government

agencies, it is also profitable kind of

business both in suburban and in

the city as well. While people do

the throwing of garbage out of their

household just to fill in the landfills,

why not try to turn their useful gar-

bage into cash?

This kind of business is not as hard

as other businesses, because you

can start doing this with a small

amount of capitalization, and you

may start collecting scraps just at

your backyard or even in your gar-

age. Determine how much the recy-

cling centres/companies buy each

kind of scrap. You can be competi-

tive in price even if you are just

new in this business if you do the

research of knowing the price of

each kind of scrap in your nearest

recycling centres. By doing this

step, it will help you determine how

much you are going to prepare for

your starting capitalization. Secure

all the necessary business docu-

ments and permits to make

your recycling business legal.

As this is one of the calls of the gov-

ernment to recycle, it will not be

hard for you to get your business

permit and any other licenses. Pre-

pare the place where you are going

to receive the recyclables. As scrap

has many varieties, segregate them

properly so it will not be hard for

you to transport these to the recy-

cling centres/companies where you

plan to sell your collected scrap.

Do the advertisement. For the

meantime that you are starting up,

let your neighbourhood know that

you are going to open up a recy-

cling business in your vicinity. This

will be helpful for them for they will

no longer go far to sell their usable

scrap from home. Making your

business known in your area will

make your market bigger.

TYPING

One way is by typing documents at home. You‘ll

love it because you don’t have to travel to and

from work every day or deal with difficult bosses

and all you need is internet connection and that

writing skill you already have in you. Typing docu-

ments at home is surely promising and is easy to

do too. Your clients here would be mostly stu-

dents and profes-

sional who need

their documents

prepared profes-

sionally in terms

of form and con-

tents.

However, it is not something that you can do

whenever you feel like it. There are preparatory

steps that have to be done for you to be able to

break into the market. First step is of course look

for writing opportunities.

When searching through different work opportu-

nities, you have to remember your expertise and

your schedule. When you are already confident

about your skills in typing documents and has

been getting positive feedbacks from clients, it’s

time to take it to the next level. Looking for more

clients will be your way to earn unlimited profits.

As the bulk of clients for this type of job can be

found online, you have to be extra patient about

searching through online pages that cater to this

service. Also, make your services known by

posting on your online page about it. Better yet,

create your very own website where you and

your possible clients can communicate.

PRINTING BUSINESS

If you are looking for ways to secure your family’s future, the business

that is ideal for you is the PRINTING business from home. The major ad-

vantage of this kind of business is the ability to cut a large amount of cost

when it comes to renting an office or operation space. In order for you to

finally get started in this business venture, you need to get the following:

toner, paper cutter, paper,

and digital printer. Of

course, the first thing,

which you need to pre-

pare, is the business plan

that discusses all the issues

and details concerning

your business.

According to Investopedia, more than 50% of all new businesses

fail. If you have had to put money out for office space and other

fixed costs right off the bat, a start-up failure can be costly. Work-

ing from a home office allows you to test out a new business with-

out a lot of overhead. This way, you can determine its viability be-

fore investing a lot of money. Maya Angelou said, “When you

know better you do better.” With the above, as Circle of Concern

we hope that we have ignited your entrepreneurial individual and

gave you knowledge that will be used as a weapon towards eco-

nomic emancipation and financial freedom. “Unless you try to do

something beyond what you have already mastered, you will nev-

er grow.”


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According to Investopedia, more than 50% of all new businesses

fail. If you have had to put money out for office space and other

fixed costs right off the bat, a start-up failure can be costly. Work-

ing from a home office allows you to test out a new business with-

out a lot of overhead. This way, you can determine its viability be-

fore investing a lot of money. Maya Angelou said, “When you

know better you do better.” With the above, as Circle of Concern

we hope that we have ignited your entrepreneurial individual and

gave you knowledge that will be used as a weapon towards eco-

nomic emancipation and financial freedom. “Unless you try to do

something beyond what you have already mastered, you will nev-

er grow.”

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination

will take you everywhere” Albert Einstein


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Purpose of Act:

The purposes of this Act are to promote and advance the social and economic welfare of South Africans, pro-

mote a fair, transparent, competitive, sustainable, responsible, efficient, effective and accessible credit mar-

ket and industry, and to protect consumers, by-

(a) promoting the development of a credit market that is accessible to all South Africans, and in particular to

those who have historically been unable to access credit under sustainable market conditions;

(b) ensuring consistent treatment of different credit products and different creditproviders;

(i) encouraging responsible borrowing, avoidance of over-indebtedness and fulfilment of financial

obligations by consumers;

(ii) discouraging reckless credit granting by credit providers and contractual default by consumers;

(d) promoting equity in the credit market by balancing the respective rights and responsibilities of credit

providers and consumers;

(e) addressing and correcting imbalances in negotiating power between consumers and credit providers by-

(i) providing consumers with education about credit and consumer rights;

(ii) providing consumers with adequate disclosure of standardised information in order to make in

formed choices;

(iii) providing consumers with protection from deception, and from unfair or fraudulent conduct by

credit providers and credit bureaux;

(f) improving consumer credit information and reporting and regulation of credit bureaux;

(g) addressing and preventing over-indebtedness of consumers, and providing mechanisms for resolving

over-indebtedness based on the principle of satisfaction by the consumer of all responsible financial obliga-

tions;

(h) providing for a consistent and accessible system of consensual resolution of disputes arising from credit

agreements; and

(i) providing for a consistent and harmonised system of debt restructuring, enforcement and judgment,

which places priority on the eventual satisfaction of all responsible consumer obligations under credit agree-

ments.

To promote a fair and non-discriminatory marketplace for access

to consumer credit and for that purpose to provide for the gen-

eral regulation of consumer credit and improved standards of

consumer information; to promote black economic empower-

ment and ownership within the consumer credit industry; to pro-

hibit certain unfair credit and credit-marketing practices; to pro-

mote responsible credit granting and use and for that purpose to

prohibit reckless credit granting; to provide for debt re-

organisation in cases of over-indebtedness; to regulate credit

information; to provide for registration of credit bureaux, credit

providers and debt counselling services; to establish national

norms and standards relating to consumer credit; to promote a

consistent enforcement framework relating to consumer credit;

to establish the National Credit Regulator and the National Con-

sumer Tribunal; to repeal the Usury Act, 1968, and the Credit

Agreements Act, 1980; and to provide for related incidental mat-

ters.


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YOUR DREAMS


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M ost small businesses ask a

common question, which is

how can I improve my mar-

keting with no or little money? According to Forbes

magazine, the Internet has drastically altered the

way in which information is shared, and has had a

profound impact on marketing. An article on

Forbes stated, “There is a sense that from the hy-

per-connectivity of our highly-digitised lives to the

bright, flashy, complicated sensory input we’re fed

everyday, there is no way to continue at this pace.

Most successful marketing strategies will be ones

that are not only simple in nature, but promote

goods and services that serve to simplify the con-

sumer’s life, or even just their customer experi-

ence.” This article aims at simplifying the most

effective marketing strategies for small businesses

Effective marketing

strategies for small

businesses

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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Companies advertise their products for a number of

reasons. The basic idea is to introduce and promote

the product for sale, which is the dominant reason.

When a company launches a new product, it adver-

tises the product in order to create awareness and

consumer interest. Some compa-

nies advertise their products to

change attitude of the custom-

ers, to make the product

‘upmarket’ or to subside some

widely held perceptions about

the product. When the products

get old, the idea behind advertisement is to reas-

sure and remind the customers about the products.

Companies also tend to advertise their products to

offset the products launched by the competitors.

Social media is about connecting with the people in

your niche: customers, potential customers, people

who are interested in what you do, etc. It’s about

building relationships and networking, not selling,

although that does come as a result. Establishing a

presence on the Internet even if you have a physical

store is critical. Create an interactive, regularly up-

dated site or blog, or by build informative yet infor-

mal profiles on social networking sites like Facebook

or Twitter. Being active on social media sites will not

only increase brand awareness, it will also boost

your company’s rank on search engines, and prove

that you are a business that is in sync with the

times. Join as many Linked-In groups as you can that

are related to what you sell and

post a question or tip on a regu-

lar basis. If you have a blog or e-

newsletter, post an announce-

ment to your Linked-In groups

with a link whenever you re-

lease a new issue or blog

posting. It is free; you will be recognised as a leader,

and reach thousands of business people interested

in your field.

Turn to those in your field for the “low hanging

fruit”. Find larger companies or older, more experi-

enced businesses and invite them to lunch. Ask

them to consider referring their smaller cases or

business they don’t have time to handle, to you.

With every successful referral send them a hand

written thank you card thanking them for their sup-

port. This will help you build your client base with-

out having to spend a lot on advertising.

Being active on social media

sites will not only increase

brand awareness, it will also

boost your company’s rank on

search engines, and prove that

you are a business that is in sync

with the times.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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There is nothing like entering a business award com-

petition to strengthen the reputation of your small

business. Winning an award can catapult your repu-

tation within your industry and with the sales audi-

ence you aim to attract. Many competitions cost

nothing to enter – except for the

time it takes to prepare your entry.

Professional and trade organiza-

tions, chambers of commerce,

Better Business Bureaus, universi-

ties – even churches are all organi-

zations that host business competitions. Keep your

eyes open for opportunities. Don’t forget, the secret

to winning is taking the time to prepare well-written

entries. The rewards for winning a business award

can last seemingly forever. Brag about winning on

your website; send a letter to clients; post the award

in your office or store so whoever comes in will see

it. And of course, send out a press release and get

your picture in the paper!

Seriously consider starring in your own YouTube Se-

ries. Take your product or service and dramatize it

through a simple, homemade YouTube movie. Go a

step further and script out a four-part series that you

can post on your website. Study the ad campaigns

that get people’s attentions and come up with some-

thing of your own — unique counts. Virally spread

your marketing message by making sure influential

local bloggers see your video.

As consumers are hit with an increasing number of

advertisements, it’s becoming more important to

make content easily and quickly digestible. There is a

rising emphasis on images. The rapid rise to success

of Buzzfeed and Pinterest are testaments to the

power and viral potential of image-based content.

Successful blog posts that receive the most social

shares also usually have a common characteristic:

they pepper in some well-placed pictures to break

content up and emphasize certain

points. Another example is in-

fographics, which combine images

with a minimal amount of text to

explain a topic and provide statisti-

cal information or data from re-

search studies. It’s pretty clear that incorporating

images is beneficial to a marketing campaign. Due to

the widespread (and quickly growing) use of

smartphones and tablets, it’s necessary for compa-

nies to create content that’s accessible to mobile

users.

Online map listings are essential for businesses as

well, with brick-and-mortar locations. They are the

first thing people see on search engines. They offer a

concise snapshot of business info so customers can

easily contact you or visit your store. And best of all,

they don’t cost any money! Make sure your business

is on Google+ business, as well as all the local review

sites and other map listings you can find.

As a small business it is very vital that you consider

the way you brand your business as it may be a de-

ciding factor on whether your business succeeds or

fails. How your customers view your business will

determine whether they will prefer your business to

your competitors, therefore, having a good mar-

keting strategy may lead to the success of the busi-

ness.

Don’t forget, the secret to

winning is taking the time to

prepare well-written entries.

The rewards for winning a

business award can last

seemingly forever.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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Manchester United Football

Club listed on a stock ex-

change.

YES, the English Red Devils listed on the New York

Stock Exchange’s Euronext. The club first went pub-

lic in 1990, but it was delisted when American busi-

nessman Malcolm Glazer acquired full ownership of

the stock-much to the distaste of the Manchester

United faithful. The Club is now back on the stock

exchange, this happened in 2012 as a means to

raise capital. Therefore, you can imagine what hap-

pens to the stock when the club’s performance is

shaky... at the time of writing, the stock traded at

$16.62 with a market capitalisation of $2,72Bn.

South African Smartphone

A joint venture by two South African companies,

Seemahale Telecoms and CZ Electronics promises

the first South African designed and manufactured

Smartphone in the second quarter of this year. The

project was first announced towards the end of

2013, and now it seems closer to being a reality

with other parties buying into the project. The

phone will run on an Android operating system and

will be priced lower than others of its standard ac-

cording to the companies. South Africa will now

have its own footprint in the smartphone market.

Ford

Ford motor company is the only company of the

then big three American automakers not to receive

a government bailout or file for a chapter 11 reor-

ganisation following the financial crisis that had

many companies with their backs against the wall.

This was despite the fact that Ford had been facing

a financial crisis of its own prior to the automotive

industry crisis of 2008–2010, and their Chief Execu-

tive was relatively new to the industry. General Mo-

tors and Chrysler both filed for bankruptcy, listing

approximately $121,600,000,000 (2009 figure) in

assets combined.

Twitter Profit

Twitter Inc., the NYSE listed company has never

turned a full year profit in its history…never. De-

spite this, the Silicon Valley Social media company

went on to list on a stock exchange in 2013. Its

founders became billionaires, but there is a nagging

question of what the investors see in a company

that has never turned a profit. Operating in an in-

dustry where advertising revenue is the main reve-

nue stream. Also, Facebook and Google are domi-

nating this market in terms of competition for reve-

nues. We will wait and see if Twitter can survive

and possibly turn a profit one day.

Common Currency-SADC

There is a deliberation that countries that form part

of the Southern African Development Community

(SADC) should have a common currency. This would

mean that hustles when visiting other countries in

the SADC region when it comes to money are

avoided. The initial goal was that by the year 2016

this should be achieved, but analysts argue that this

is unrealistic at the moment. A similar move is

when the European Union introduced the Euro to

its member countries. It would sure be pleasant to

know that I don’t need to buy another currency in

order to be able to make purchases abroad.

By Athi-Nkosi Majavu

INFORMATION


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Yahoo Inc.

For the first time in nine years, Yahoo will not make it to the

fortune 500 list of America’s largest corporations (measured

by revenue), according to Fortune. This owes to the fact

that in 2013 revenue fell 6%, to $4.68 billion. This in turn is

due to the loss of popularity among users and subsequent

loss of advertisers citing that the technology behind Yahoo's

tools is very old-fashioned. It is very unfortunate for Marissa

Mayer that this had to happen under her leadership.

INFORMATION

@CoC Magazine

Follow Us

Comment on



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How to make money

with

Y ou may or may not Already now this, but YouTube’s

Partner Program is an initiative by the Google-owned video-streaming platform to help creators develop skills, build audiences and crucially to earn some bucks. YouTube is a lucrative goldmine and is making its users millions of dollars every year. According to analytics company SocialBlade, those homemade videos are earning some users over $16 million a year. Uploading a video clip on YouTube of your friends getting up to, mischief can win over a cooing international audience and earn big money. YouTube was one of the first sites to pay its users, and while it is hard to make money unless you generate a lot of traffic, it is possible. Some people even make a living.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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How to make money

with

The YouTube Partner Program is currently available

in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia,

Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Ja-

pan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland,

South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and

the United States.

Therefore, you are probably wandering how you can

start making money out of your homemade videos. It

is all through the advertising run on the clips. Users

have to enable their clips for monetisation in the

settings. YouTube will then have to approve your vid-

eo and link to your Google AdSense account to start

earning money.

Before you get carried away, YouTube will NOT let

you make money off your video if it contains content

that you didn't create or get permission from its cre-

ator to use; shows people from whom you did not

get permission; has content that would be inappro-

priate for children. This means that you cannot rec-

ord yourself or friends singing songs that you did not

get permission to cover. Therefore, those people

that were thinking of singing Beyoncé’s songs can

rethink their strategy.

You will not start making money until at least 1000

people have clicked on your ad-running clip. From

there what you earn can depend on what ads are on

it.

A man from the UK left his job as a barman to earn

his crust from YouTube by uploading a 20-minute

gaming clip every day from his bedroom. Most peo-

ple would thought he was mad, deluded or plain lazy

but Joseph Garrett (known as Stampylon) is now set

to make up to $11.2 million a year.

YouTube claims its technology can predict when a

video is about to go massive. They also say that they

contact owner and offer to start serving up advertis-

ing, so they can make money from a one-week sen-

sation.

“If you’re willing to work hard and create videos that

entertain, inspire, educate and amaze, then you can

find success on YouTube. Whether you’re a novice or

a mogul, we’re committed to helping you meet your

goals as a YouTube partner,” YouTube said. What

does this mean for young people and filmmakers?

Grab the camera and hit that recording button to

start earning some YouTube money!

ENTREPRENEURSHIP


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Tell us more about it and we will feature

your business in the next month’s copy. SEND YOUR BUSINESS PROFILE TO:

[email protected]


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i t is not surprising when

Bidvest snaps up most com-

panies, with their recent no-

table acquisition being an

increase in their holding in Ad-

cock Ingram. We are not aston-

ished because

Bidvest has asserted

itself as a giant con-

glomerate reporting

revenue of R153.4bn

that grew by 14.9%

in financial year

2013. Bidvest is not the subject of

topic here. The technology indus-

try is, in a class of its own in

terms of diversification, which

includes engineering, science,

electronics etc. From the early

steam engine automobiles to the

latest smart TV, we have come a

long way.

This diversification calls for some

boundaries for players in the in-

dustry, especially the ones that

have access to enough money to

spend on anything they desire. A

couple of companies seem to un-

derstand these

boundaries when it

comes to mergers

and acquisitions.

When Ford motor

company was look-

ing to grow their

reach between the

years of 1999 and 2001, they ac-

quired companies and brands of

their own kind in both Volvo and

Land Rover. Another good exam-

ple is a South African company

Famous Brands whose acquisi-

tions show intentions of growth

within their sector, with their

most recent being the 70% stake

in Wakaberry.

This is an effective and proven

growth strategy to becoming an

influential business but that does

not necessarily mean that it will

always work some went astray.

We cannot say the same, for

companies like Facebook and

Google, whom one may say are

experiencing an identity crisis,

causing constant headaches for

cautious investors. Some of the-

se, and other similar acquisitions,

have resulted in purely software

companies moving into hardware

products-Google’s acquisition of

Motorola mobility in 2011-and

vice versa-HP’s purchase of Blue-

stone software and others before

that. Moreover, some just do not

make sense like Facebook’s ac-

quisition of Oculus VR Inc.

IDENTITY CRISIS IN TECHNOLOGY

When Ford motor company was

looking to grow their reach be-

tween the years of 1999 and

2001, they acquired companies

and brands of their own kind in

both Volvo and Land Rover.

LIKE US ON


TECHNOLOGY


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Have these companies forgotten

their identities? Are

they on a spending

spree to show that

they have money?

What will happen to

their core business or

service? These ques-

tions arise because most of those

companies keep moving farther

away from their core business or

services with some having migrat-

ed completely from their core

business, for example, Anglo

American Plc. no longer has any

ties with gold mining that was its

core business when was founded

in South Africa back in 1917 as

Anglo American Corporation. An-

glo may not be a technology com-

pany, but you understand the ar-

gument thus far.

Yahoo! Inc., an American multina-

tional Internet corporation, glob-

ally known for its Web portal,

search engine Yahoo Search, and

related services, including Yahoo

Directory, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo

News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo

Groups, Yahoo Answers, advertis-

ing, online mapping, video shar-

ing, fantasy sports and its social

media website. It is one of the

most popular sites in the United

States (Wikipedia stated). This

internet giant, like its Silicon Val-

ley counterparts, has been on a

shopping spree; spending around

$ 1.4 billion to acquire 37 compa-

nies, with their biggest purchase

being social software start-up

Tumblr for

which they paid

$ 1.1 billion. De-

spite these

growth efforts

of the company,

2013 revenue

fell 6%, to $ 4.68 billion. The ques-

tion that arises is where is proof

that Yahoo! is now bigger than it

was in the 2012 financial year?

$1.3 billion was spent and where

are the results? On the other

hand, advertisers complain that

the technology behind Yahoo's

tools is obsolete.

Why they work on modernising

assets directly linked to the gener-

ation revenue instead of spending

money on growing away from

their core market? Focusing on

increasing their user base, which

is paramount to advertising reve-

nue growth, would that do Yahoo!

any harm? As it is clear that these

acquisitions are not for profit in-

tensification, are they for compe-

tition elimination? This is unlikely

because competitors to Yahoo!

are Google and Facebook, and it is

not buying them.

Is growing wider truly the best

growth mechanism in the 21st

century, having one’s foot in

many distinguished sectors? Have

these previously small technology

companies decided that they

want to become technology

“conglomerates”?

These questions are yet to be an-

swered, but knowing of at least

one company that forgot its core

market and ended up being a

chaser in a different market, their

business model perhaps did not

work well and ended up on the

back foot of many players in that

industry.

This is a dangerous game and only

those with big money can play.

Facebook said that the acquisition

of WhatsApp supports Facebook

and WhatsApp’s shared mission

to bring more connectivity and

utility to the world by delivering

core internet services efficiently

and affordably.

Further, the combination will help

accelerate growth and user en-

gagement across both companies.

Considering that the Menlo Park

company’s main revenue stream

is advertising, how the acquisition

of WhatsApp will contribute to-

wards growing Facebook’s reve-

nues going forward is what we are

yet to see. It becomes exciting

when one thinks about it this way.

TECHNOLOGY


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To add to its string of significant

acquisitions, Facebook has pur-

chased Moves. Moves is a free

app that logs users' daily exercise

and fitness routines. It also keeps

track of places visited, with a map

showing where users have been

throughout the day and how they

got there. “Today, we're delight-

ed to announce that Facebook

has acquired our company and

the Moves app. Since we

launched Moves, we’ve been fo-

cused on running a simple and

clean activity diary that millions

of people have enjoyed using”

The Finland startup, ProtoGeo

Oy, posted the news in a blog

post on Thursday (24-04-2014).

Looking back to when Facebook

was incorporated, it surely has

changed significantly, hopefully

for the best.

It makes more sense if these Sili-

con Valley companies, which

have a common revenue model,

were making acquisitions, which

would introduce more revenue

streams to their financials. Silicon

Valley is a nickname for the South

Bay portion of the San Francisco

Bay Area in Northern California,

United States. It is home to many

of the world's largest technology

corporations, as well as thou-

sands of small start-ups. It is to

technology companies what Wall

Street is to financial markets.

Only time will tell if these tech-nology giants are going through an identity crisis or simply adapting to the rapidly changing business environment. We will be watching on the sidelines.

TECHNOLOGY

http://moneymorning.com/2014/03/26/facebook-nasdaq-fb-buying-oculus-vr-inc-2-billion/

http://moneymorning.com/2014/03/26/facebook-nasdaq-fb-buying-oculus-vr-inc-2-billion/


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Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has emerged as the premier

policy instrument to redress the socio-economic inequalities created

by the apartheid system in South Africa. BEE has evolved from a ru-

dimentary concept that was casually coined outside government in

the 1990s to being the policy instrument du jour of the post 1994

democratic dispensation. BEE has received critical attention culmi-

nating in its institutionalisation through a BEE Council, an Act of Par-

liament, and a policy framework to facilitate its implementation. The

institutionalisation of this concept across government policy and

practice settings, including, in particular, the government’s drive to

restructure its enterprises, has accentuated BEE’s important role in

the government’s reconstruction and development agenda.

The BBBEE Act is not enacted against any company; however, gov-

ernment institutions and parastatals are required to comply with it.

However, if a certain company wants to do business with the gov-

ernment, it has to prove its BBBEE credentials first. At the same

time, a company can improve its BBBEE rating by doing business

with other companies with high BBBEE ratings. We call it a redress,

giving previously disadvantaged individuals an opportunity to partici-

pate in the economic activities of this country.

A key objective of this act is to promote the growth and sustainabil-

ity of small business in order to grow the country’s economy. This is

why they are not forced to implement BBBEE codes as they may fail

to prosper in an environment in which larger companies can easily

comply.

Businesses have thus, been classified as Exempted Micro Enterprise

(EME), Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE) and Generic Enterprise.

The 7 elements of the BBBEE score-

card are as follows:

1. Ownership Equity is the effective

ownership of a business by black

people who have voting rights and

economic interests in the organi-

sation.

2. Management Control refers to the

amount of decision making power

and strategic control that is in the

hands of black people.

3. Employment Equity refers to the

demographics of the organisa-

tion’s employees and how they

balance out throughout the organ-

isation.

4. Skills Development is the type of

training given to black employee

as well as the amount of money

annually on this training.

5. Preferential Procurement forces

companies to look into their sup-

plier’s BEE credentials.

6. Socio-Economic Development is

the monetary and non-monetary

contributions made by the compa-

ny to beneficiaries, 75% of whom

should be black, which promotes

them to have more access to the

economy.

7. Enterprise Development deals with

developing entreprises mostly

small ones.

Is B-BBEE still relevant?

LAWS


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The Act was assented to on 7 January 2004 with the

aim of establishing a legislative framework for the

promotion of black economic empowerment as well

as to empower the Minister of Trade and Industry to

issue codes of good practice and to publish transfor-

mation charters. The Act recognises that in the past

race was used to deny the majority of the population

access to the formal economy’s resources and em-

ployment opportunities, including the opportunity to

acquire advanced skills. As a consequence, black peo-

ple were assigned to low-income occupations by de-

fault. The preamble goes further to indicate that if

steps are not taken to address this race-based ine-

quality the very future and economic prosperity of

the Republic and all its people, regardless of race,

may be in jeopardy.

On the other hand, the question of enrichment versus

empowerment quickly entered the mainstream BEE

debate, as the political elites were in the main the

major beneficiaries of the BEE deals struck to date.

Ernst & Young revealed that 60% of the value of the

total BEE deals struck in 2003 valued at R42.2 billion

accrued to just two companies controlled by Patrice

Motsepe, brother-in-law of another ex-politician be-

come BEE entrepreneur, Cyril Ramaphosa, and yet

another ex-politician, former Gauteng Premiere, To-

kyo Sexwale.

According to economist Azar Jammine many of these

supposedly BEE companies are actually still being run

by whites, and yes, you have got a nice *black+ guy at

the top and couple of directors, but the actual busi-

nesses are still being run by white people, to me

that’s not empowerment, that’s just enrichment –

and it’s a very important distinction. Moeletsi Mbeki,

brother of Former President Mbeki, considers BEE to

be a white invention meant for “co-opting – and per-

haps even corrupting – ANC leaders by enriching

them as private individuals. The objective was to play

on the leaders’ weaknesses of many years of depriva-

tion in prisons and in exile by dangling in front of

them unconceivable riches that would be given to

them by the oligarchs, all for free.”

The acuteness of this claim manifests itself in argu-

ments that point out that, since only the political elite

have materially benefited from the majority of BEE

transactions to date, there is no such thing as a black

middle class. Too few of the black masses have bene-

fited from BEE equity transactions for such a phe-

nomenon to arise. The development of a black middle

class is not solely a function of BEE equity transac-

tions alone, but rather of all the elements of BEE, i.e.

employment equity, preferential procurement, enter-

prise and skills development. The black middle class

was already in existence by the Eighties and com-

prised black professionals such as doctors in private

practice and store owners. One need only look at the

affluent parts of townships around the country as evi-

dence of this, prime examples being Diepkloof Exten-

sion in Soweto and Hospital View in Tembisa.

LAWS


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The children of this black middle class attended pri-

vate schools and Model C schools (when these be-

came accessible to black people) and went on to

university and obtained degrees. They could hold

their own spears against their white counterparts

and hence would have thrived even in the absence

of BEE. After all, their parents managed to triumph

against the far greater obstacles caused by the socio

-economic scourge of apartheid.

In other words, the mere removal of apartheid laws

coupled with real economic growth created favour-

able opportunities for economically well-placed

black people to bolster their wealth and indeed the

numbers of the black middle class. Consequently,

broad-based black economic empowerment as rep-

resented by its seven elements merely contributed

to the acceleration of the advancement and growth

in the wealth and numbers of the black middle class

during the past 20 years. Thus, BEE alone, even in

the broader context cannot singularly explain the

existence or the growth of the black middle class.

With the advent of a new government, the econom-

ic elite were acutely aware that their existing politi-

cal relationships with the previous government

would be of little economic value to them. Hence,

new relationships had to be forged with the new

political elite, and BEE gave them the opportunity to

forge these relationships quickly. Economist and

BEE researcher Duma Gqubule accepts that the po-

litical elite have benefited disproportionately from

BEE equity transactions, but she blames white capi-

talists, accusing them of being engaged in a ”cynical

and calculated move to buy political influence” to

protect their economic interests (cited in Mail &

Guardian Online, 2005).

Is B-BBEE still relevant? Or can the government for-

mulate a new policy that will ensure socio-

economic growth and not be used by the elite to

continue to be wealthier through interaction with

the government? It is evidential that only a few

have benefitted from this policy and maybe this

should be an alarming notice to the government

that they need to do some changes in order to

reach a point where there is a “better life for all”.

"The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of per-

sistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail."

Napoleon Hill


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HOW TO WRITE

PETITION TO

PARLIAMENT?

Section 56 (d) and 69 (d) of the

Constitution of South Africa pro-

vides for the National Assembly

and the National Council of Prov-

inces to receive petitions, represen-

tations or submissions from any

interested persons or institutions

regarding any matter.

WHAT IS A PETITION? A petition is a formal request to Parliament for in-tervention in a matter. It can take the form of a request for assistance either with a specific issue or for the redress of a grievance. A petition is a way of making your voice heard after a Bill has be-come a law and may be a request for a change in that law.

INFORMATION


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WHY PETITION?

Public input in law-making, oversight and other processes of Parliament is a significant constitutional provision of our de-mocracy. Parliament has developed a number of ways to pro-mote public participation in the work of the institution. One way the public can exercise their right to participate in Parlia-ment is through submitting a petition. Procedures for dealing with petitions are set out in the rules of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.

TYPES OF PETITIONS There are generally two types of petitions, namely special peti-tions and public or general petitions. A special petition is when an individual makes a specific request or asks for personal relief from the State, which is not authorised by law, such as access to a pension. A public petition is when a group of citizens with similar interests request general relief or redress of a grievance.

LANGUAGES OF PETITION You are allowed to use language of your choice but it should be one of South African official languages. The parliament is mainly dominated by MPs speaking Xhosa, Zulu or Sotho. The parlia-ment encourages you to summaries your petition in English.

PRESENTATION OF A PETITION According to the Constitution, “Everyone has the right, peace-fully and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket and to present petitions.” However, there are certain procedures that individuals and/or groups have to follow when petitioning Parliament. The presentation of petitions is governed by the rules of Parliament. The National Assembly requires that a Member of Parliament (MP), for consideration, formally pre-sent a petition. Therefore, an MP must support the petition. You are entitled to approach any MP by contacting them or by visiting the Constituency Office closest to you to seek their as-sistance with presenting a petition on your behalf. The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) does not require that an MP sup-port a petition. However, a petition submitted to the NCOP should be in the form prescribed by the Chairperson of the Council. The rules of the NCOP do not draw a distinction be-tween special and general petitions.

INFORMATION


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HOW TO WRITE A PETITION A petition should comply with the following requirements: Be in a form prescribed by the Speaker of the National Assem-

bly (NA) or the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP);

Include the name/s and contact detail/s of the petitioner/s; Clearly indicate the intended recipient of the petition (to whom

is the petition being addressed); Clearly indicate the nature of the request being made (the sub-

ject of the petition); Include a clear motivation for the petition; The petition must be in any of the official languages of South

Africa; Be signed by the petitioner(s) themselves (unless the Speaker or Chairperson decides otherwise); Not contain improper or disrespectful language; and Must indicate the nature of the relief (assistance) asked from

Parliament

HOW TO SUBMIT A PETITION IN PAR-LIAMENT? It is advisable that you talk to an MP before submitting your peti-tion as they can assist you with the format and content of your peti-tion. If there are supporting documents on the issue raised by the petitioner(s), attach them to the petition. Your petition will be lodged with the Secretary to Parliament to review it and confirm that it is correct in format and content, and then submitted to the Speaker of the National Assembly or the Chairperson of the Nation-al Council of Provinces. If the petition complies with all the requirements, it will be tabled in Parliament. If it is a special petition, it will be referred to the Committee on Private Members’ Legislative Proposals and Special Petitions in the NA or the Select Committee on Petitions and Mem-bers’ Legislative Proposals in the NCOP. If it is a petition of a general nature, it will be referred to the relevant Portfolio or Select Com-mittee(s) that deals with the issue(s) raised in your petition. An ap-proved format for your petition may be obtained from Parliament’s Clerk of the Papers. Once you have drafted your petition, it must thereafter be handed in at the office of the Clerk of the Papers.

INFORMATION


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Circle of

ECONOMICAL

POLITICAL

SOCIAL

A W A KE NI NG TH E M A S S E S | E DU C AT I NG O U R N AT I O N

A page dedicated to political, social and economical de-bates for young people. Its time we acknowledge the fact that problems we are currently facing cannot be solved using one perspective, consolidating them will easy our way to economic emancipation

I do not think it

is relevant to

make entrepre-

neurship a

school subject

because when

you get to varsi-

ty you get those

modules. There

are different

types of entre-

preneurship

books that one can read to know about it. I understand

that it is important to know something about business

but learning when you get to varsity is the best way. I

think entrepreneurship is included in subjects like busi-

ness studies. Even if entrepreneurship is broad, the ba-

sics of it are included in business studies.

Mothiba

Do you

view entre-

preneurship

as a focus?

The you

should dis-

cuss the

view that bias people have with-

out acknowledging the theory

based behind the focus

DEBATE


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We should make it a school subject. Most

young people only want to be employed after

their tertiary education because it is what they

grew up with. If we can install entrepreneur to

our little brothers and sister at the younger

age, they will grow up with it and become the

better business people. I think we should start

it at grade 7 to give these kids alternatives if

they cannot find jobs after their schooling

years. We need to plant the tree and ensure

that these roots are well cemented. Most of

successful entrepreneurs started it at younger

age and if we can equip the coming generation

then we can grow our economy and be devel-

oped as well. Creation of employment is anoth-

er reason.

Thabo

LET’S TALK MZANZI

June Question

Can youth subsidy save us from unemployment?

Send your comment to: [email protected] WhatsApp the answer to: 074 955 1704

Comment on


DEBATE


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OUR PARLIMENT

PARLIAMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA Parliament consists of two Houses, namely the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (NA) The NA is elected every five years in national elections. During the elections voters choose whom they want as their repre-

sentatives by voting for the political parties of their choice.

THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The NA has a constitutional mandate to:

1. Law-making Role One of the main functions of the NA is to make the laws by which the country is governed. The NA refers Bills to Committees for processing and debates Bills. The NA can approve, reject or refer Bills back to the Committees for further discussion.

2. Oversight Role Parliament has a responsibility to scrutinise, monitor and oversee the actions of government or any other organ of State, in

respect of the implementation of laws, the application of the budget, and the observance of the Constitution. Parliament keeps the Executive accountable by approving budgets, through asking parliamentary questions, having parliamen-

tary debates about important issues and by proposing and voting on motions relating to the work of government. 3. Elect the President

The NA has a constitutional mandate to elect the President of South Africa from among its Members.

THE COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The NA consists of 400 elected Members of Parliament (MPs). Members of the NA are elected through a system called propor-

tional representation. Before an election, each party draws up a list of candidates in order of preference. These candidates are then elected in propor-

tion to the number of votes the party wins in the election. For example, if a party wins half the votes, it will hold half the seats in the NA.

OFFICE BEARERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Presiding Officers At the first sitting of the NA, the members of the NA elect the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker who are referred to as the Presiding

Officers of the House. The Presiding Officers are entrusted to run the affairs of the NA. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament preside over the meetings of the NA. They make sure that Members of Parliament speak freely, but adhere to the rules of the House.

House Chairpersons The rules of the House make provision for House Chairpersons to assist the Presiding Officers in performing their work. The House

Chairpersons may also be required to preside over sittings of the House.

The functions of the House Chairpersons include: Co-ordinating the work of Committees

Preparing reports on legislation

Co-ordinating oversight activities of the Committees

Providing political and strategic support to the Presiding Officers.

Chief Whips Each political party in the NA elects a Chief Whip to run its affairs. The whips look after the Members of their respective parties. Leader of Government Business

The President appoints a Leader of Government Business who works with the office bearers of both Houses. The Leader of Government Business is responsible for looking after the interests of the Cabinet and Government business in

Parliament. The Leader of Government Business ensures that Cabinet Members attend to their parliamentary responsibilities.


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BOOKS For Aspiring Entrepreneurs

BOOKS


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LAW & ECONOMICS


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EDITORIAL

Donald Msiza

+

A dmittedly, everyone has some-

one; they look up to, a role model

of some sort. Jokingly with a few

friends of mine, we agree ‘you

need a father’ but that is just spiritual in-

terpretation of ‘you need a mentor’. The

thing about kids from townships, they are

said to be not having people to look up to,

but when having an exchange of words

sometimes with a few acquaintances of

mine I refuted that line of argument, and

held that we do have people we aspire to

be like in the townships, but not so

‘beneficial’ figures. Given the nature of the

environment, the unemployment and the

consequential poverty, most of the per-

sons we are exposed to are unemployed

folks that do anything for their families,

folks that hustle to make ends meet. We

have been conditioned to look up to peo-

ple because of what they have and where

they are, but as to what it is that they have

been through to get there, as to what it is

what they had to give in order to have

what they do, we honestly do not care. As

a result, we look up to people that drive

cars around our streets and have had

‘nothing’ to do to have them.

We have been led to believe that, in our

townships schooling is the longest and

most depressing way to wealth, and given

the number of graduates produced by our

communities. Moreover, the fact that im-

mediately they have it together, the fewer

they are, the leave for more developed

and more apposite places, we are left with

folks that do not have anything good to

say about school or education at large.

Whether we like it or not, if exposed to a

style of living for a considerable amount of

time, you are more likely to eventually be-

lieve that the only way in which everyone

lives, and your first reaction to the set you

are not familiar with is rejection. My point

is for the 10 year old boy who grows up in

these townships his dream is to be like

that one guy who drives a Velocity yet has

never been seen going to work. That guy

who is always roaming the streets but

come Friday he has money to buy booze

‘till Sunday. Better yet, that girl who is

‘smart’ enough to can hang out with such

people. Ninety nine per cent of young peo-

ple dreaming of being lawyers when they

grow up are only acquainted with lawyer-

ing as depicted on TV, the effect being that

they all at that time want to be litigators,

until sometime at varsity they are intro-

duced known to commercial lawyering and

their thinking is simultaneously broad-

ened, stereotypes broken.

We are our own persons and should be

thought of as independent subjects, how-

ever, what you expose your kids to shapes

their thinking, behaviour, life. There are

young, effervescent, ambitious and suc-

cessful people out there that kids should

be looking up to. Let’s name drop just to

make a rather robust point, Sibusiso Leope

better known as DJ Sbu, Siphile Buthelezi

(a second year senior associate at one of

Africa’s biggest law firms; Bowman Gilfil-

lan, in his early 30s) and Matsebe Thulare

(a junior investment banker at Rand Mer-

chant Bank, in his late 20s). To some ex-

tent, all the above-mentioned figures

made their way up in so not very advanta-

geous circumstances. It is only when we

start embracing such successes from our

communities; of our people, then can we

see more of such admirable stories. It is

embedded on the older ones to set record

for the younger ones.


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June2014

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Transcript of June2014