The Black Business Council (BBC) has described the Democratic Alliance’s proposed Bill aimed to replace the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), as a continuation of apartheid.
The DA gazetted its Public Procurement Amendment Bill on Tuesday for public comment, calling for an end to the B-BBEE.
The party described the B-BEEE as a race-based tender policy which does not promote fairness and accountability.
The council however called on citizens and the National Assembly to reject the DA’s proposal with contempt.
“In the eyes of the DA, black people are only good as recipients of social benefits or handouts but are not worthy to own any part of their own economy.
It proposes that the government must continue to do business only with big and white companies.
In our view, the DA desperately wishes SA can go back to the bad days of apartheid where blacks were exploited as servants of white people with no power or say,” said BBC.
It continued to defend the B-BBEE policy against claims that it only benefits people of a certain race.
“The claim that B-BBEE only benefited a few ignores the fact that B-BBEE has various elements including Ownership, Management Control, Skills Development, Enterprise and Supplier Development and Socio-Economic Development.
“As an example, we now have black executives, Chairmen and CEOs of both private and public sector companies primarily due to Employment Equity,” the Council expanded.
Reacting to the DA’s proposed Bill, President Cyril Ramaphosa told the media that he had not seen the bill and assured that the B-BBEE policies remain in effect, until the party presents its proposal before parliament.
