The DA welcomes that the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development will finally reconsider the nomination report for the Small Business Ombud in March. This follows months of sustained DA pressure on the Chairperson, including multiple letters to herself and the House Chairperson. Our position is clear: the entire nominations process must restart and be run without the procedural irregularities that marked the previous process.

The DA has lead the call for an independent and effective Ombud since 2018. After years of delays and unnecessary roadblocks in the process, we will work in Committee to have this Ombud in place as soon as possible, but through a fair and transparent procedure.

The previous committee report was returned to Committee in June 2025 due to serious irregularities and flaws in the nomination process, which the DA highlighted. The participation of non-voting members in the interview process and suspicious marking allocations for the first-placed candidate meant that we successfully opposed this report being voted on in the House.

Small businesses must be able to rely on an independent Ombud to fight for their rights. They will not get the support and protection they deserve from a politically biased process or a deployed cadre.

The DA now calls on the Portfolio Committee to proceed without further delay in restarting the nomination process, and will make sure that the Ombud has the integrity and expertise to protect the small businesses who drive growth in our economy.