By: ANG Reporter
The Black Business Council (BBC) has strongly condemned the “irresponsible and reckless” utterances attributed to Eskom board member Mteto Nyati regarding transformation and localisation.
Nyati was quoted as saying in order to save Eskom, empowerment rules had to go. In a statement, the BBC said: “The purported views deliberately omit to mention corruption that was committed by white-owned companies at Eskom, as highlighted by the Zondo Commission. These purported utterances come just a few weeks after the board was reconstituted.”
“The BBC is of the view that the purported views, presumably mandated and on behalf of the Eskom Board, are a deliberate diversion from achieving an Electricity Availability Factor of 75% and supplying South Africans with a reliable electricity as well as decisively dealing with the incompetently proven CEO and COO of Eskom, who are not black and are therefore assumed to be competent.”
“The BBC expects responsible and patriotic South Africans, especially those who grew up under the cruel apartheid systems and are beneficiaries of our progressive employment equity legislation, to support and improve the economic transformation and localisation rules so that we can change the patterns of ownership and create local jobs in order to deal decisively with the %record-breaking unemployment and grow the economy.”
“Mr Nyati’s purported views dismally fail to comprehend the basics of transformation, localisation, industrialisation, and empowerment in that they project that blacks are done a favour in their own country, where they are in the majority. The participation of black and women-owned companies in the mainstream economy through Public Procurement legislation is key to socio-economic justice and redress, as per section 217 of the Constitution of South Africa, and should be unapologetically implemented by the state and all its organs without any excuses. It is non-negotiable.”
The BBC said the role of the board “is to monitor compliance and ensure that all current provisions of the Constitution are implemented, not to encourage non-compliance”.
“The BBC have heeded the Eskom Chairperson’s call to be given space and time so that the board can conduct a thorough and proper analysis of the challenges at Eskom and suddenly the board wants to do away with government policies and legislation, without following due process.”
The BBC said it has since requested an urgent meeting with the Eskom board to be clarified about the interview and to understand whether Nyati’s views represent those of Eskom.
