Premier puts the 'me' in SMME

NORTHERN Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul has come under sharp criticism for emblazoning his face on 23 containers that were handed over to SMMEs in Springbok shortly before the by-election held in Ward 6 on May 28.

- SANDI KWON HOO

The ANC claimed a 39.38 percent win in the Nama Khoi municipal by-election. The PA received 30.11 percent of the vote, the Namakwa Civic Movement 16.57 percent, the DA 13.06 percent, while the EFF received 0.87 percent.

The PA, meanwhile, won the Karoo Hoogland by-election on May 28, with 51.5 percent of the vote, followed closely by the ANC with 48.5 percent.

Political parties and socio-economic activists questioned why the containers were branded with the premier’s image instead of the business names of the local entrepreneurs, labelling it a flagrant misuse of taxpayers’ money for political campaigning.

The “Unboxing Basha” containers reportedly came at a cost of around R300,000 each, including equipment and branding, and were officially handed over on May 26.

According to the provincial government, the containerised businesses were custom-designed according to the specific needs of each entrepreneur. These included hair salons, bakeries, food outlets, and spaza shops.

COPE central executive committee member Pakes Dikgetsi condemned the “self-glorification” displayed by the premier.

“It reminds me of the behaviour of self-serving despots who turn public projects into personal public relations campaigns. Only despots shamelessly plaster their images across public spaces to cultivate a cult of personality.

According to our information, 100 containers were supposed to have been delivered. Where are the rest?” Dikgetsi questioned.

He also believed that the cost of the containers was highly inflated.

“Given the size of the containers, including the equipment and branding, it should not have cost more than R50,000 each.”

Dikgetsi noted that the initiative, aimed at empowering small businesses and fostering economic growth, was overshadowed by serious ethical and moral concerns.