/ 4 July 2003

Business chamber to reinstate deputy president

The Federal Council of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) has agreed to reinstate the black business body’s suspended deputy president, Vincent Phaahla.

Phaahla was suspended last week and ordered to appear before the Nafcoc Disciplinary Committee following allegations of holding provincial elections in Limpopo in defiance of the national office.

However, Nafcoc president Patrice Motsepe, who was overseas at the time, recommended on Thursday that because Phaahla was not given a hearing before being suspended he should be reinstated.

The Federal Council subsequently agreed to lift the suspension. Nafcoc said on Friday that a three-man sub-committee had been set up to look at the allegations against Phaahla, who would appear before this sub-committee and respond to the specific allegations against him.

Buhle Mthethwa, the Nafcoc Secretary General, said: “It is important, consonant with what the President said yesterday, that we place the matter properly in context by setting out the factual background to the disputes and that everybody gets a fair hearing.”

By so doing, she said, the organisation would demonstrate that a due process and fairness was important and respected by Nafcoc.

The sub-committee will make its recommendations to the Federal Council, which will sit on July 29. The Federal Council, the highest decision making body of the organisation, will make final pronouncements on the matter, Nafcoc said. – I-Net Bridge