Boost for ECD and Informal Trade

GOOD Statement by Brett Herron, Unite for Change Leadership Council Member and GOOD Secretary-General:

Today, the Tshwane Department of Economic Development and Spatial Planning, under the political leadership of GOOD’s Councillor Sarah Mabotsa, has brought two important reports to Council for approval.

The first report was to waive the Development Contributions or charges for Consent Use applications for the establishment of Early Childhood Development centres (ECDs) within townships, former homeland areas and rural areas of the City of Tshwane.

Development Charges are a significant impediment to the formal establishment and registration of ECDs, but without formal registration, ECDs cannot access government grants, which can support child nutrition and healthcare programmes at these learning centres for young children. In Tshwane, the majority of ECDs are not registered, and of the registered ECDs, only a small 7% minority are located within townships, former homeland areas and rural areas.

Enabling easier registration will allow more ECDs to access vital grants that can support the growth and development of young children during their essential early childhood years.

The second report requests approval of a new bylaw to regulate informal trade and support township economies in Tshwane. The proposed framework aims to correct past injustices while upholding constitutional requirements and aligning with the recent Supreme Court of Appeal judgment affirming the traders’ rights. The bylaw clearly outlines the duties of the municipality alongside the rights and responsibilities of informal traders, creating a fair, lawful, and inclusive system for managing the informal economy.

The new bylaw also takes into consideration past injustice, recognising the high levels of unemployment and poverty in South Africa and historical injustice and discrimination suffered by generations of Black, Indian and Coloured South Africans under apartheid. Aligned with the BBBEE philosophy, the bylaw permits the introduction of policies for the preferential allocation of economic opportunities to South African citizens, as permitted under Section 9(2) of the Constitution of South Africa.

GOOD and our partners in United for Change are committed to protecting and upholding the Constitution and the democratic and basic rights of the people it provides.

 

GOOD Manifesto on Skills Training: Emphasizing the importance of skills training for the workforce.

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