A broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) strategy that socially and economically empowers all previously disadvantaged communities needs to be promoted, the Congress of South African Trade Union (Cosatu) said on Wednesday.
It said in a dossier, which is still being debated at Cosatu’s national congress in Midrand, there needed to be a call for land reform, the rollout of the public works infrastructure and other programmes to serve as broad-based empowerment vehicles.
”This will ensure the BEE benefits the masses of black people, including the working class and the poor and (is) not… elitist in nature to enrich a few black individuals,” the labour federation said.
Empowerment should be understood as part of the national democratic revolution in which the three contradictions, the legacy of racism, gender inequalities, and class-income, are addressed in their total relationship, it said.
The 100-page dossier, which contains a range of proposals on various government service delivery issues, was discussed at the four-day gathering scheduled to end on Thursday.
Cosatu said government needed to put measures in place to ensure that tendering and procurement policies do not serve the interest of the few big white companies.
”There has to be campaign against self-interest interpretation of BEE as project to privilege and enrich few black aspiring bourgeoisie,” the labour federation said.
”The tendency among big companies to use fronting as a way of avoiding the real issues of transformation and the promotion of broad-based BEE should not be left unchecked.” – Sapa