Business has delivered on its side of the deal but the state is not coming to the party, CEO Initiative leader Jabu Mabuza said ahead of the "People’s Assembly Against State Capture" held in Pretoria’s St Albans Cathedral on Wednesday.
More than 30 leading CEOs on Wednesday attended a multi-stakeholder news conference.
Among the business leaders were CEOs of SA’s big five banks, as well as the CEOs of Discovery, Imperial, McKinsey, PG Glass, the Chamber of Mines and the Banking Association.
They are part of the initiative that has been working with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to avert a ratings downgrade and boost growth.
Members of the initiative, which in October issued a pledge that has now been signed by almost 130 companies, had intended to march with the minister to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court where Gordhan’s fraud case was to have been heard on Wednesday but was withdrawn by the National Prosecuting Authority on Monday.
The news conference was also addressed by AngloGold Ashanti chairman Sipho Pityana, who has driven the Save SA campaign and called for President Jacob Zuma to resign.
ANC stalwarts including Cheryl Carolus, and leaders of faith and civil society organisations back the call.
The comments from Mabuza, who also chairs Business Unity SA and Business Leadership SA, reflect growing frustration with Zuma and his ministers, who have failed to deliver on promises of labour reforms, regulatory certainty in mining and reforms to state-owned entities.
This is despite a series of actions by the business group to put in place a R1.5bn small enterprise fund, an internship scheme which could employ a million youth and measures to boost vulnerable industries.
The NPA’s decision to charge Gordhan came as a snub, given that it came just after the successful New York investor road show by the CEOs and Gordhan — a road show to which Zuma had given his blessing.
Soon after came the decision to charge Gordhan, which Mabuza said had "subverted the national interest and the economy’’. It was worse than unhelpful and the president could have done something about it, Mabuza said.
He said the business grouping had communicated with the president and the ball was in his court. However, in contrast to the Save SA campaigners, the business grouping has not called for Zuma to go, on the grounds that dismissing a president is not within business’s purview.
Mabuza said the CEO Pledge called for ethical leadership, and business would continue to be vocal and would engage with the ANC, which could do something as the governing party.
"We can’t say we stand for the Constitution and inadvertently suggest an unconstitutional way of changing office bearers," said Mabuza.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of the assembly, Pityana said it had brought together an unprecedented array of stakeholders who were concerned about the state of the nation, particularly in respect of corruption and misgovernance.
"At the heart of the problem is a leader without integrity or honour," Pityana said. "It is one month since we have written to him, his door is firmly shut."
Carolus said the ANC stalwarts abhorred the notion that a small handful of people had decided they would capture the state and its resources and institutions for the good of a few. However, there were still good women and good men in the ANC. "We call on all to say we will not allow these people to steal our past or our future."
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