"Opening up the Shutters" – a Radio Grahamstown 102.1/Grocott's Mail Live Debate – took place in the Radio Grahamstown studio on Wednesday 2 December.
"Opening up the Shutters" – a Radio Grahamstown 102.1/Grocott's Mail Live Debate – took place in the Radio Grahamstown studio on Wednesday 2 December.
Hosted by radio presenter Xolani Kondile, our participants were two Grahamstown entrepreneurs – Tariq Hayat, who owns a wholesale business that services several spaza shops, and Ali Adam, of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce, who is the regional co-ordinator of new group buying initiative, Family Best.
Dr John Reynolds of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at Rhodes University and Nokanyo Jili, SMME, Trade and Investment Manager in Makana Municipality completed the line-up.
The basis for the debate was that it's our current socio-economic structure – the way that different kinds of local businesses work – that was the underlying cause of the violence, persecution and looting that happened in October. If that doesn't change, there's always the chance of it happening again.
We wanted to know, what can be done to prevent more violence and prejudice? What needs to change and who needs to change it? How can we secure the future?
Kondile proved an exceptional host, who made it possible for the four panellists – as well as several listeners who phoned in – to have their say about problems and possible solutions, in safe and balanced environment.
"How do we stimulate Grahamstown’s economy so all our residents can reap the benefits?" is the question on which he kept a lively and valuable debated focused.
Listen to the discussion for yourself here: bit.ly/GrocRadioG1
Here are some quotes from the opening salvos, to whet your appetite:
Nokanyo Jili
* The minute we let there be a gap be between government and community, such things are bound to happen.
* We were all caught sleeping. It’s a sign that there is a problem somewhere.
John Reynolds
* At the heart of problems like this is often poor service delivery and poor economic development and low opportunities for people.
* People scapegoat in these situations – they attack people they can isolate and identify.
* There is a gap between promises made by government and what is happening on the ground.
* Desperation about unemployment, poor service delivery makes for a very potent mix of disaffection that can explode in various forms.
Ali Adam
* The municipality doesn’t really understand what needs to be done for the business community in the township and their role in the economy of Grahamstown.
* Abantu are angry – they are very angry with the municipality. People were not interested in talking about this so-called xenophobia… looting and all that.
Tariq Hayat
* Most shops have re-opened already. Only a few don’t have money – but the show was closed for eight to nine days.
* We supply wholesale to the locations and people are supposed to pay at the end of the month. But they couldn’t pay the money… we've had to absorb that loss.
* Sue Maclennan did the transcriptions.
