So let me get this straight:
1. On 22 January, Phiwe Marumo apologises for "inconsistencies."
2. On 8 March, David Jarvis says the problem is that I did not send information.
These two statements cannot both be true.
Either the @IDCSouthAfrica treated me inconsistently (Marumo's version) or I failed to provide information (Jarvis's version).
The email trail supports Marumo.
I hold a 6,500 square metre factory allocation at the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone.
TASEZ needs proof of IDC funding to finalise my lease. The IDC says come back with a facility.
A state-built factory, designed for black manufacturers, sits empty while a qualifying black-owned tenant is being turned away. The first of its kind for a Black Youth-Owned Automotive Manufacturer.
On 9 March 2026, I filed a formal petition with the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition, addressed to Chairperson Hon. Mzwandile Masina.
On 10 March 2026, I filed a supplementary complaint with the Public Protector.
On 10 March 2026, I submitted a 21-page evidence package to NAFCOC.
I have also sought legal counsel.
I am coming from every angle. The IDC will not be allowed to bury this quietly.
Parliament has already launched an inquiry into claims of IDC bias against black businesses. This is not just my story. This is a pattern.
Every black entrepreneur who has been told "come back with 1,000 sales" while watching someone else get R69.9 million knows exactly what I am talking about.
I am not asking for sympathy. I am not asking for charity.
I have 70+ vehicles deployed. Blue-chip clients. CSIR validation. AIDC endorsement. A TASEZ factory allocation. R9.5 million of my own money invested. 10 years of my life.
I am asking one question: Why has the IDC given R0 to a black-owned EV manufacturer with a proven track record, while giving R69.9 million to a white-owned competitor in the same sector?
If you cannot answer that question, then you understand the problem.
To every black industrialist who has been through this: You are not alone. The system is not broken. It is working exactly as designed. But we can change that.
To the IDC: I have given you 8 years of good faith. I have nothing left to lose. The evidence is filed. The public can judge.
To the media: My inbox is open.
To South Africa: Repost this if you believe development finance should serve the people it was created for.
@Powerfm987@dailymaverick@News24@Newzroom405@IOL@ewnreporter@eNCA@Radio2000_ZA@Radio702
SME Friday | Entrepreneur Spotlight 🔶
With International Women’s Day on 8 March around the corner, this SMEFriday we celebrate a remarkable woman entrepreneur who is redefining leadership and resilience in business.
Aphiwe Khambule is the Chief Operating Officer of 21st Century Funeral Services and the 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year®, a title she earned at the Entrepreneur of the Year® Awards powered by Business Partners Limited @BizPartnersLtd
Taking over the family business at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was a true baptism of fire. As Aphiwe recalls, “It was sink or swim for funeral services. Fortunately, we managed to swim.” Since then, she has doubled the workforce, expanded to six branches across KwaZulu-Natal, and grown the business to 60 employees.
Blending compassion with innovation—and even a touch of her fashion background—Aphiwe believes modern funeral services should help families celebrate life while offering emotional, social, and financial support.
Looking ahead, her vision includes developing a memorial park to address cemetery space shortages, expanding into the Eastern Cape, and introducing new financial products beyond funeral insurance.
Werner Francois Smith has been defrauding SARS for DECADES‼️
He sets up shallow online learning platforms offering lousy certifications through fake learnerships advertised on Facebook/WhatsApp, targeting desperate unemployed youth.
He registers numerous shell companies via CIPC, lures participants with promises of free or low-effort online courses/certifications (often 12-month programs) and pays them a small monthly stipend of around R400 for “data allowance.”
Youth submit their full personal documents (IDs, bank details, etc.) for “registration,” unaware that these are used to falsely list them as proper employees earning much higher salaries on payroll records.
This is De Doorns in the Western Cape. All the residents here work for 4 families that own all of the farms in the area.
The same 4 families also own of the shops in the town nearby.
Basically, the same people the farmworkers work for in the wine farms also control the local Pep, Shoprite, KFC etc.
During the picking season, Intercape buses drop off hundreds of workers straight from Maseru and Harare.
I can’t wait to share insights on securing the right funding for your business. Join me for a day of learning, networking, and growth—grab your ticket now and let’s build our future together! #SMEFundingSummit#Entrepreneurs#Tickets
https://t.co/nenPGm4PUe