Charles Molele
The ANC will defend the policy of BEE and the government’s tendering system because there is no viable alternative to deracialize the South African economy, according to the ruling party’s provincial chairperson David Makhura.
Makhura was speaking during a robust and sometimes heated stakeholder engagement with black professionals, academics and business people held at the Birchwood Hotel & Conference Centre in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.
Dozens of professionals and businessmen attending the stakeholder engagement bitterly complained that they were excluded from participating in tenders due to widespread cronyism, which contributed to poor service delivery and corruption.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are among parties who have called for the scrapping of the government’s tendering system.
“How can you abolish a tendering system? The issue is not the tendering system. The issue is corruption. Let us deal with corruption. Let us fix the problem, which is corruption,” said Makhura.
“What is a tender? A tender is a system of buying goods and services in a transparent manner and by empowering black businesses, especially those in the townships. There is no government that can produce everything – pens, paper and bottled water – inhouse.”
Makhura said the ruling party supports affirmative action, BEE and the tendering system in order to empower black people who were excluded from participating in the economy due to apartheid and separate development.
“The vision of the ANC is to create a national democratic society. In simple terms, we want to create a non-racial society where everybody has access to decent housing, jobs, assets, education and land. The ANC is not anti-white. The aim of these policies is not to impoverish whites. We want to create a united nation. But nobody can deny that black were the most oppressed. Affirmative action, BEE and the tendering system is about that. We want black people to be at the centre of everything we do but not at the expense of whites. We will not drive white people to the sea,” said Makhura.
Makhura said the ruling party has always had a close historical affinity with black professionals and academics.
“We value black professionals and intellectuals. We want to get more educated people in our ranks. We require the best skills and attract them to government to drive delivery,” said Makhura.
“The ANC has a long association and close historical affinity with black professionals and intellectuals including black business people. Professionals, academics and business people were at the very centre of the formation of the ANC.”
