First of all, we must make it a point that these small farmers - these SMMEs - are supported financially and are supported in terms of the relevant skills. If you are in farming, you must know how best to farm so that your produce is of a good quality. It's not like you are just fighting to sell the produce, but that it is of good quality. You are not imposing yourself; you are selling something that is of good quality.
So, government's intervention is to ensure that the production that is happening in those townships and villages is of good quality and supported financially. However, the next step is to ensure that we break this monopoly of the chain stores. We need to ensure that our small and medium- sized enterprises are also given a platform to sell their produce. As government, we must lead by example, because, on a daily basis, we procure goods and services. So why aren't we
offering these SMMEs the platform? We are also bad payers: we buy from SMMEs and take 90 days to pay. This person is employing five or 10 people. If you don't pay this person for 90 days, you are killing his or her business.
So, as much as we are working hard, that the President is working hard to attract foreign investment, that we are working hard as government to support SMMEs, the attitude of government must change - pay services on time. [Applause.]