In a highly charged address, broad-based BEE commissioner Tshediso Matona mounted a vigorous defence of BBBEE on Wednesday, arguing that economic redress is not only vital for growth but essential to restoring the dignity of black people.
“BBBEE, which is an affirmation of our humanity as black people, is being treated as race-based, and we are being made to feel uncomfortable even mentioning ‘black’ in empowerment. We have been making a mistake — we cannot compromise on our identity. We are black people and if we do, we deflect from the real problem," Matona said.
Matona said that there was a moral urgency to stand up against the mounting legal and political campaign against BEE arguing that opposition to economic redress in the country lacked constitutional fidelity.
Matona was speaking at a Business Day Enterprise Supplier Development Summit, where his remarks came against the backdrop of renewed criticism of the policy — including from the DA, which this week unveiled a billboard along Johannesburg’s N1 attacking BEE.
The billboard is part of a broader plan to roll back BBBEE policy, which includes employment equity and preferential procurement rules. The DA is the biggest cheerleader of scrapping BEE, joined by Sakeliga, which has launched a legal onslaught, while the Institute of Race Relations and AfriForum are using their lobbying muscle.
Let’s be honest: yes, we must talk about poverty, but we cannot ignore race. Both must be addressed.
— Tshediso Matona
The DA is campaigning on an alternative policy, Economic Inclusion for All. The party argues that BEE has benefited only a select few while its new economic-inclusion framework is explicitly pro-poor.
Still, Matona shot down the argument saying BEE had its roots in black people’s exclusion from the economy.
“The fundamental problem of our economy has a colour: it’s black. We are not equal. We want to be equal. BBBEE is our platform to claim that equality. ‘No, we can’t talk about black now.’ It’s been 30 years — too long. Let’s be honest: yes, we must talk about poverty, but we cannot ignore race. Both must be addressed,” he said.
Even so, Matona acknowledged that BBBEE had at times been abused but to suggest it was designed to be exploited or “captured” was wild and desperate.
“Almost always, targets are not being met. On average, across all five elements, only 50%–60% of targets are achieved. And of those that are met, we don’t know how much reflects authentic transformation and how much is merely window dressing, because there is gaming of the system and a pretence of implementing BBBEE,” he said.
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