The Black Management Forum (BMF) on Friday warned what it described as anti-transformation forces to keep their “hands off” BMF president Jimmy Manyi.
“Current publicity around Black Management Forum president Jimmy Manyi’s views on transformation in the Western Cape should not be allowed to obscure the deep-seated need for socio-economic justice, fairness and equity in the country,” said BMF deputy president Tembakazi Mnyaka.
Manyi, who is also the government spokesperson, apologised “unreservedly” earlier on Friday for making what had been criticised as “racist” and “disturbing” comments about there being too many coloureds in the Western Cape.
This came days after the union Solidarity was criticised for claiming that about one million coloured people stood to lose their jobs if amendments to the Employment Equity Act (EEA) became law.
Apology
Responding on Friday night, Mnyaka said the BMF stood by the correct context of the statement which was meant at ensuring wider and broader representation of all race groups in all nine provinces, in line with the demographics of the country and as guided by the Employment Equity Act.
“The BMF has noted its president’s unreserved apology for the offence caused by comments he made in a media interview a year ago. It has also noted the ruling party’s repudiation of these remark.”
The ANC earlier on Friday distanced itself from the “disturbing” remarks made by Manyi. “We want to categorically put on record that the remarks made by Manyi neither represent ANC nor government policy,” party spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.
Mnyaka asserted that “rather than being a source of embarrassment, these developments serve as evidence of the robust and dynamic nature of our political culture”.
‘Vindication’
These developments did not detract, in any way, from the BMF and Manyi’s commitment to building a non racial South Africa — and especially an economy — that reflected the demographics and values of South Africa as a whole, including the Western Cape.
Mnyaka said the representation of coloureds in the BMF board was a clear vindication that the coloured community was well embraced within the BMF ranks and therefore to suggest that Manyi was racist was preposterous.
“At the same time the BMF notes with great concern the hypocrisy by Solidarity, the Freedom Front Plus and the Democratic Alliance that in the Western Cape, where coloured people are in the majority but appointed to less than 10% of leadership or managerial posts in the [DA-governed] province.
“We advise these organisations to [keep their] hands off our president,” said Mnyaka. – Sapa