Tourism Equity Fund; Reconsideration Appointment of Small Enterprise Ombudsperson; Eastern Cape Oversight Report

The Committee considered several matters relating to oversight, accountability, and the implementation of support programmes for small businesses. During the meeting, Members engaged with a briefing concerning the Township Entrepreneurship Fund (TEF), raising concerns about the slow pace of approvals despite a high number of applications. Members questioned the effectiveness of the approval process, the sustainability and distribution of funded projects, and the reported job creation figures. They further emphasised the need for greater transparency, equitable geographic distribution of support, and clearer accountability mechanisms to ensure that public funds translate into tangible economic outcomes. The Committee also received a presentation from Parliamentary Legal Services regarding the appointment process for the Small Enterprise Ombud. The legal opinion clarified that the Committee's mandate derived from a resolution of the National Assembly and that the resolution had referred the report back for reconsideration without explicitly instructing the Committee to reinterview candidates. The legal advisors cautioned that reinterviewing candidates could present procedural risks and advised that the Committee should instead identify and address specific concerns within the report unless a full reconsideration of the process was demonstrably necessary. Members subsequently deliberated on the implications of the advice and the appropriate course of action moving forward. The Committee further considered the report on its oversight visit to the Eastern Cape. The presentation outlined engagements with more than thirty enterprises across several districts, highlighting both positive impacts and persistent structural challenges affecting small businesses. While the Committee welcomed evidence that funded projects were reaching high-poverty areas, it expressed concern about weak coordination between national entities and local municipalities, delays in application processing, inadequate monitoring, and the risk of project failure due to partial funding. Recommendations included strengthening follow-up oversight, improving referral systems between financial intermediaries, enhancing monitoring mechanisms, and ensuring that viable business plans received adequate funding support. During the discussion on the oversight report, Members expressed general support for its findings and recommendations, while emphasising the importance of ensuring that oversight visits resulted in meaningful follow-up and implementation. It was suggested that the Department of Small Business Development and its entities be invited to report back to the Committee on progress made in implementing oversight recommendations and that beneficiary feedback be incorporated to verify whether commitments made during site visits had been honoured. The report was subsequently moved, supported, and adopted by the Committee. In closing, the Chairperson reiterated the Committee's responsibility to ensure that its oversight work translated into improved support for communities and entrepreneurs facing poverty, unemployment, and limited economic opportunities.