Mining magnate Patrice Motsepe was on Saturday elected as the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of SA (Chamsa) and Business Unity South Africa — two new bodies which unite black and white business organisations.
Dr Franklin Sonn, the president of the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut, was elected as the deputy president of Chamsa while Sam Buthelezi, the president of the Federation of African Business and Consumer Services, was the first vice president of Chamsa and Mac Mia, the SA Chamber of Business leader, was the second vice president. Attie du Plessis was elected the deputy president of Busa.
The two organisations were formed at a ceremony at Sun City in the North West on Saturday night. Chamsa would make a fundamental input in the operations of Busa and the two entities would complement each other.
Chamsa consists of Nafcoc, the SA Chamber of Business, the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut and the Federation of African Business and Consumer Services while Busa replaced the Black Business Council and Business South Africa (BSA).
Mbeki called the formation of the two new unitary business organisations”historic and momentous” .
”This is a night to celebrate. What happened here is history, something all South Africans should be proud of,” Mbeki told guests at a Sun City banquet hall where the official launch was held.
He said he was sure nothing like this had happened elsewhere in the world because ”as people we … share a commitment, as we have for many decades”.
He said: ”We come here to say: ‘hold hands as business — both big and small — and confront the socio-economic problems facing the country’.”
Mbeki said as of Monday the government would extend its fullest support to Chamsa and Busa
What was important was that the two organisations produce positive and practical results that should change the lives of poor South Africans — most of them black.
”This is indeed what we must do and I have no doubt the two organisations shall do that,” Mbeki said. He received a Nafcoc award that was named after him. The banquet marked the end of a Nafcoc annual general meeting. ‒ Sapa