Aspasia Karras talks to Dr Danisa Baloyi about the challenges facing the=20 chairwoman of the Gauteng Tender Board
Dr Danisa Baloyi=D5s appointment as chairwoman of the Gauteng Tender=20 Board could be seen as the culmination of an active mobilising presence in=
the black business community, where she has been central in the formation=
of such organs as the Black Business Management Caucus, of which she is=20 now executive director.=20 Her close association with the caucus began in 1993, after a meeting=20 between the African National Congress (ANC) and black business.=20 The intention was to create a lobby group that would organise and unify the=
diffuse black business community so that it could effectively contribute to=
shaping policy and making legislation=20 =D2We should strive to speak with one voice,=D3 elaborates Baloyi. =D2This=
entails identifying the fact that most black business is organised by secto=
and specialisation, making it very difficult for them to work together. Bla=
business needs to be capacitated to grow. Much like the big companies of=20 the past, integration needs to happen.=D3=20 Baloyi has a structured approach as to how this can be realised, essentiall=
by concentrating on helping small- and medium-sized business to grow.=20 The banks are in the front line of her attack,=20 =D2Banks are not user-friendly, and this must be changed, in part through a=
education blitz that focuses on easier access to finance.=D3=20 Buzz words like facilitating entrepreneurship, and developing=20 disempowered women and black business groups may pepper a large part=20 of Baloyi=D5s conversation, but it is obviously her skill at negotiating ar=
the concept and putting it into practice which undermines such criticism,=
and that has informed her approach to the tender process. The more pertinent question that has been asked is: to what extent will=20 Baloyi=D5s appointment ensure that the Gauteng Provincial Government=20 avoids the jargon of development but still delivers the goods, without=20 excessive tokenism and loss of tax rands? Simply stated can Baloyi keep=20 her ideals in check and get the best deal? Baloyi claims she was asked in her private capacity to chair the board, and=
is doing so independently of her other interests. She does imply that a big=
shift should occur, when the best deal for the Gauteng region is=20
In light of the new emphasis on economic empowerment in Gauteng, the=20 goals of the board have become very clear for Baloyi.=20 Firstly, the board must ensure that the region gets the cheapest and most=
effective tender, and secondly it must function as a catalyst of change.=20 The board intends to use regulation to ensure sub-contracting to small and=
black businesse and make it possible for suh businesses to tender =D2Essentially when it comes to getting the contract, big business is still= in=20 the best position to do so,=D3 she claims =D2but we are working at levellin= g the=20 playing field.=D3=20 As of September 1 Gauteng ceased to have any connection with the State=20 Tender Board, meaning that the process of handling tenders, administering=
the complex absorption process of old civil servants of the ex-Transvaal=20 Provincial Administration, rewriting and simplifying the tender documents=
which deterred many people from applying, and creating a new regulatory=20 framework for tendering, should be close to completion. For the group of 13 members who have worked on an almost voluntary=20 basis, this has been a mammoth task claims Baloyi, whose tender process is=
driven by three conditions: Creating new rules will benefit all stakeholders by removing unnecessary=20
Ensuring that the tender documents become easily available and user- friendly, so that problems like the sheer size and technocratic language of=
the old documents are eliminated.=20
Guaranteeing that advertising for tender is done through the most=20 accessible media, by using community rather than government channels. Baloyi is adamant that fairness and transparency are the only building=20 blocks for a successful tender system.=20 =D2Tenders given last year have opened our eyes to favouritism and=20 monopolies that were enjoyed in the past.=D3 The board is both a developmental tool, but more importantly, a watchdog,=
for the government=D5s expenditure, argues Baloyi,=20 =D2After all it=D5s tax rands that are in question. Still it=D5s tough to e= nsure that=20 what is on paper is actually what happens. The bottom line is that the=20 province cannot lose money.=D3 Baloyi=D5s motivation lies in the fear of retribution from the younger=20 generation, who can be hyper-critical of the old guard. She argues that wha=
makes the task bearable is the fact that the board functions as a close-kni=
The notion that she is the first women chairperson of a tender board has=20 empowered her only in that it has given her a platform to speak across=20 cultures, races, and gender.=20 =D2We visited the State Tender Board only to discover that there were still= no=20 blacks and no women to be found.=D3 Baloyi fears, =D2 A lot of us will be set up and compromised if we are not= on=20 red alert daily, because our stands might not please certain people.=D3
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