By Nomawabo Tshisa
On 27 March, I tried to interview some small business owners in Makhanda to know if their businesses have been running smoothly. The interviews were not easy to get, and I struggled to find people to agree.
In one shop that we entered, the people who were there mentioned that the boss is not around and that they are not allowed to talk to anyone. We then moved to Eric, who is a shoemaker who lives on Wood Street. I interviewed him about his business. He mentioned that he started the work with passion, but as time has gone by, he does it only because there is no other work.
Eric’s story was touching as he explained that he is a shoemaker only to buy food. “Otherwise, there is no profit”, he said.
Eric also mentioned that there is no support he gets from the government, although he pays VAT (value-added tax). He struggles even to get the material used to make shoes and has to buy it in Gqeberha, 120 kilometres away.
I found that small businesspeople do not want to be interviewed because of empty promises made by our leaders, and because there is no government assistance.
(This article was first published on 5 April 2023 in Karibu! A Working Class Newspaper published by Khanya College. Nomawabo Tshisa is a feminist activist, a member of the Rural Peoples’ Movement in Bathurst and a member of the Isikhalo Womxn’s Movement against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide).
