Is it correct to refer to the BEE Commissioner by her first name backwards? Probably not, even though it has a lovely ring.
Our great transformation fronting crusader held a press conference last week. Please reader, take this post from whence it comes. I make no bones about the fact that the fundamental basis of the revised codes is wrong. These codes are not about transformation they serve two purposes
- They are punitive. It's retribution. They are devoid of business sense, rendering them unimplementable unless dramatic plans are made (and I know all those plans)
- They are designed primarily to give black businesses an absolute advantage over their "untransformed" competitors. This is aimed primarily at state procurement. You can tell this because more tenders are insisting on bidders with very high levels. I suspect this will be challenged at some stage
Back to the commissioner.
Broad-based black economic empowerment in South Africa is moving in the right direction, but too slowly. That’s the word from Zodwa Ntuli, acting commissioner of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Commission (B-BBEE Commission), who adds the commission is confident that the pace of broad-based black economic empowerment in South Africa will soon accelerate.
The article is mostly about fronting, not that that should come as a surprise - the commission was established for this sole purpose. There is a statement which adequately demonstrates how absolutely devoid of reality the Commissioner and the dti are
“If we implement B-BBEE the way it is intended, we’ll be able to create more jobs and integrate more graduates into the economy,” Ntuli says.
Let's look at these statements individually.
Transformation is happening but slowly.
I found another article where she said she understand that these codes were new. Even so this is a problem. The last codes were removed because the scores got too high too quickly. A study was conducted in a similar manner as zuma's (still lowercase, and to show my sheer disgust I have decided to also use a smaller font for this infantile moron's name) "intelligence report" on Pravin and Jonas. The dti had proof that transformation was not taking place, they conducted a study - which also showed that black businesses were being charged R35k for a BEE certificate. That report has never been made public and never will.
The result are the new codes. Ridiculously hard to implement - so hard in fact that bolshie bob has suggested that all black businesses should be exempt from implementing them, irrespective of turnover. Of course progress is going to be slow, this is exacerbated by the paucity of verification agencies and SANAS' ridiculous processes. In fact I'm surprised that it's done as well as it has.
Correct implementation will create more jobs and integrate more graduates into the economy
At best this comment is myopic. At worst it's complete delusion. When you consider that the cost burden on those companies who are left to pick up the pieces of the transformation of the economy, is so high, there is no space to employ more people. Throw in the employment legislation and you get a lack of will to employ anyone at all. Don't forget that we are in a technical recession as well. There's no money for any of this.
The other issue that is not being spoken about is what contribution are those black-owned businesses that are exempt from BEE making toward this process? This is an unknown because they never get verified.
The Commissioner is not giving us a proper picture here. But she doesn't need to because the bubble she lives in doesn't require her to.