49% of Cape Town business says drought is becoming a threat to their survival
26 October 2017
Nearly 49 percent of businesses in Cape Town say the drought and the water crisis has now become a threat to their survival, according to a survey of members conducted by the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The survey also found that the crises had caused 23 percent of responding firms to postpone or halt new investments in their businesses.
“It is clear that we have a major crisis on our hands and it is time to slash the red tape and take emergency measures,” said Ms Janine Myburgh, President of the Chamber. “Unless we do so without delay we will suffer long-term damage to the economy and the reputation of the City.”
She said when South Africa had an AIDS crisis it was treated as an emergency, the rules were changed and this enabled the country to get on top of the epidemic. “We have to use the same approach now. Normal bureaucratic procedures were not designed to deal with emergencies.”