Maponya honoured
TYCOON ROCKS BUSINESS AWARDS
DR RICHARD Maponya brought the house down on Saturday night as he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the first Township Entrepreneur Awards.
The glittering event, held at Nasrec Centre near Soweto, toasted the achievements of township businesses in Gauteng and Johannesburg ’ s finest celebrities partied with business personalities.
In his speech after being presented with the award by Gauteng premier David Makhura, Maponya urged blacks to support each other.
“We have the power, we have the numbers, we can do it ...” was his rallying call.
“The future is in our hands. If we, black people, can support one another like we see other racial groups do, we will definitely control the purse strings of this country, ” he said.
He complained about tribalism.
“It looks like apartheid has damaged our thinking because we still recognise each other as Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, whatever. Let us stop doing that. Let ’ s support every black person. Anybody wearing this complexion must be supported.”
Maponya, who is regarded as the father of black township business, is Soweto ’ s original tycoon. He operated several general dealers, a car dealership, funeral parlour, bus services and filling stations.
Maponya is the first black person to be granted horse racing colours and is the founding member and first president of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the African Chamber of Commerce.
He owns Maponya Mall in Klipspruit, Soweto.
Other winners who pock- eted R300 000 each included Soweto Outdoor Adventures that took Tourism and Creative Industries award as well as Youth Entrepreneur.
Home of Soweto Gold won in manufacturing while Hleko ’ s Best Place restaurant, won in food and beverages category.
Sheila Sekhitla won Woman Entrepreneur Award for her The View Guesthouse in Tembisa.
Hosted by comedian Tumi Morake, DJ Sbu and poet Napo Masheane, the event was compered in an unusually refreshing theatre-meets-presenting approach.
Some of the skits performed depicted township business life with a humorous twist.
Simphiwe Dana, Bucie and Kelly Khumalo performed the opening medley of songs by Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie and Lebo Mathosa.
Presenters included David Tlale, Maps Maponyane, Sthandiwe Kgoroge, Lerato Mvelase and Nomuzi Mabena. Government dignitaries included Makhura and Lebogang Maile, MEC for economic development, whose department organised the event.