The programme is currently under the Free State Development Corporation (FDC). Speaking to the provincial legislature’s Public Accounts Committee (Propac) a delegation, including MEC of the said department Dora Kotze, told members of the house that they had no information about this alleged move despite the fact that the provincial Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Destea) had last week told the same committee that it had engaged with DPWI on the matter. The chairperson of the Committee, Neels van Rooyen, angrily told the committee that something about the entire project was amiss to him.

 Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee at the Free State Legislature, Neels van Rooyen, told MEC of Free State Public Works and Infrastructure that it was strange that she had no idea that her department had a role in the future of the Rent-A-Desk programme, or atleast that was what the provincial department for small businesses told the committee. Van Rooyen said it was clear that communication lines between the two departments had been blurred and requested that they engage on the matter further and reach a consensus. The two departments will appear before the committee once again on Tuesday morning, at the legislature offices in Bloemfontein, to give a report back on the matter.

The programme is the FDC’s flagship project which was started in 2016. For a fee of R1800 a month it afforded small businesses, in the province, the opportunity to rent a desk at FDC where they would have a business address, access to the internet and stationery as well as other amenities offered as part of this package. OFM News had previously reported that the FDC had allegedly discontinued the programme, thereby disadvantaging 23 out of the 24 local businesses that were depending on it, allegedly without any explanation. According to a tenant representative, who wanted to remain anonymous, the FDC renewed all the contracts in October last year. It then backdated those contracts to May 2018. In February, 23 of the 24 tenants were given 28 working days to vacate the building, contrary to the terms in the contract which stipulate that tenants will be given between 40 and 80 working days’ notice. Responding to OFM News’ questions, the FDC then released a statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer , Ikhraam Osman, which stated that the facility will be closed temporarily from April 2019. “FDC will be engaging with the provincial department of public works to get a new building where emerging businesses can be accommodated. This will assist the FDC to operate the concept at a lower cost”, the statement read. The statement does not allude to the alleged financial instability of the entity nor did it provide an explanation as to why only 23 of the 24 offices will be vacated.

OFM News