Businesses have little clout when attempting to tackle community issues on their own, yet stand to face great losses when things go wrong.
Businesses have little clout when attempting to tackle community issues on their own, yet stand to face great losses when things go wrong.
In the hope of tackling a range of local issues like crime in the CBD and irregular water and power supplies from the municipality, two local business forums have emerged in the last six months.
The Grahamstown Business Forum (GBF) was established last October and has already begun operating to improve the safety, sustainability and viability of local businesses.
It has initiated the process of installing security cameras throughout the CBD to deter crime, as well as a means to prove and prosecute when crimes occur.
They have also made attempts to investigate infrastructural shortcomings such as the town’s unreliable water supply.
“I have had power and water cuts for the last five Festivals,” said GBF committee member and BnB owner Alaric Heim.
“There is no way we can have a city like Grahamstown grow if the infrastructure is not updated.”
When another forum started to take shape earlier this month, called the Makana Business Forum (MBF), the two decided it would be unwise to tackle the same issues separately and are looking to marry their organisations.
Through their combined attempts they aim to bolster the local business sector and give weight to the concerns of business owners.
The two committees will meet on Monday to discuss their futures working together and creating one combined forum.
This combined forum, proposed at this week’s MBF meeting, aims to represent the entire business community in the greater Makana area.
The forum’s interim committee is calling on all business sectors from tavern owners, to those in construction, agriculture and hospitality.
Head of the GBF Eugene Repinz expressed excitement at the establishment of the new forum, noting that the merging of the two is an ideal way to strengthen business in Makana as a whole.
“Business owners experience very similar problems, whether you are in the town or the township,” he said.
“There are millions of rands of business to be had between each other. Instead of always relying on the municipality and Rhodes University we can look for business for each other and bring it back to this forum.”
Moving swiftly forward, a representative will be elected for each sector at the forum’s next meeting on Wednesday 24 April, starting at 5pm at City hall.
It will be the responsibility of these representatives to collect and organise the concerns and suggestions of each sector and then report back to the forum.
The interim committee urges business owners from all sectors to attend and ensure they are well represented.
