Politicians should disabuse themselves of seeking to run banks, and this enthusiasm should be left in private hands, with political leaders focusing their energy on creating an enabling environment for the economy to thrive.
Group chairperson of the Akani Properties and managing director of Akani Retirement Fund Administrators, Zamani Letjane, in an exclusive interview with Sunday World, last week, said the pressing imperative for any government of the day ought to be to create a conducive legislation and political climate to allow business, and ordinary life of citizens, to feel safe in the townships and towns.
“The business must run the economy, and the government must make sure that good laws to promote trade and industry are in place, for without adopting this position, no progress can be made,” said Letjane.
This, he said, was in keeping with good macro-economic objectives to be developed into policies, ensuring that the government of the day develops a vision, and avoiding a situation where the economy floats like a leaf in the river without direction.
“If we all work together, knowing what role each of us has to play as defined in policy guidelines, life will be easy for all South Africans,” he said.
Letjane said he and his organisation, Akani Properties and Akani Retirement Fund Administrators, are committed to hold hands with the government and black business.
“We are duty-bound as black business to create a legacy, to be remembered by our children and the generations to come.
“We need to build entities, and liberate ourselves, and take charge of our own destinies, in various spheres of life, and more prominently, in business.
Freedom is about black people enjoying economic means. We need to ask ourselves difficult questions of whether we are making a difference in black people’s lives who are looking up to us for economic solutions,” he said.
“Yes, we need to have our own banks, but the government’s function is to build a strong and resilient infrastructure to act as a conduit to facilitate economic growth, and the creation of black economic empowerment.”
“I am happy for the Black Business Council and the work they do to bring black business to one room, working and supporting each other, showing black -solidarity, and forging ahead with the project of black economic empowerment,” he said.
