The Black Business Federation (BBF), an organisation representing black businesses, is closing ranks, refusing to be associated with the so-called construction mafias wreaking havoc.
On Tuesday, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for public works and infrastructure Martin Meyer and a key delegation from BBF met in a closed meeting in Durban to bury the hatchet and start on a clean slate.
Meeting long overdue
Malusi Zondi, the federation’s president, explained that the meeting was long overdue. He defined the engagement as fruitful.
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“We were gravely concerned. Mainly about the widely reported narrative that suggests the federation is the construction mafia. Or it is behind mafia-style activities carried out at construction sites,” Zondi explained.
He further pointed out that the federation would advocate for job creation and opportunities for small businesses. This especially those in the construction sector. However, they will not support anarchy, he sad.
“The problem is that there are several grey areas which exist. With a number of unregulated rogue forums emerging through the cracks. [They] take advantage of the system,” he said.
Hotbed of ruthless construction mafias
KwaZulu-Natal has been the hotbed of the construction mafias. They would disrupt construction projects, demanding a stake. The groups are often well organised and armed to the teeth.
Meyer said while it was always desirable to source local skills in construction projects, at times it was difficult. This is because of the complexity of skills needed in some projects.
“These are positive engagements today. And we hope that from today a roadmap will be developed. It will include national policy change advocacy and a national construction imbizo amongst other strategies,” said Meyer.
He also noted that the collaboration will lead to a closer and formalised working relationship. This will be between the Black Business Federation, the provincial department of public works and the provincial government.
If all these were equal. How the Hell can any business survive by just dishing out jobs. This a fallacy of all fallacies. In other words it’s to be jobs above profits. Why do these people not wonder why there so many people out of work.? Also mainly because of the ANC’s ineptness and corruption which lead to the job seeking fiasco…In facilitating the private sectors and Industrialists to alleviate this crisis. I mean this is rocket science…The private sectors and Industrialists thus have moral obligation to help.🤨🧐🤔
I do not have faith in some of these organisation’s like the BBF who are run by people who have no connection with those seeking to make a living in the construction industry on those building sites. They sit in offices and live in the suburbs and no doubt earn large salaries.
They just want a slice of piece of the pie. FIULL STOP.
The fact is that goverment projects are the targets for these so called originations.They have it that way because Bee.and the community have a bigger say in the recruitment process on these projects.
BEE is a “MUST”, the government and organizations just need to implement it correctly to assist black businesses reach the state where they end up listed on platforms as JSE and not the games that are being played.
Rubbish BEE has destroyed our economy.
BEE is the joke of the millennium as this is why we have the current problem of useless idiots in positions and slow pace of work with no wotk ethic. Give the job to the qualified person who is capable of doing the work, not because of their skin colour. Unfortunately this just shows the IQ of the people that are implementing BEE. We all want an inclusive working Country that is not built on racism but good work ethic. This culture that people have nowadays that I am here for a salary but have no pride in their work must stop. South Africans have always been renowned around the world for there good and strong work ethics but that is fading fast.
100% Mike. Nail on the head.
I fully agree with Mike Kruger,Martin, Frank and Antony Primo. Stop it immediately all this BEE and BBF and get yourself a job in the construction so that you can see what is sweat and blood to put food on the table. The so called BEE and BBF the so called organisations that is a sort of Mafia that this Country no longer effort. Ramaphosa and the ANC government has 30 years to stop them but they just tolerate and feed them as long as possible for their own needs and corruption. The ship is sinking ,and cannot negotiate with mafias otherwise we sink with them to a bankrupt country like Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa north from the Limpopo river.
3rd world is our future.
The anc needs to commit to the gnu,not because they got 40% but bring this country of OURS ,LISTEN LEARN & DO RIGHT for WE THE PEOPLE
Load of damn rubbish
Why do we have bee policies in the first place. Goals been realize or are there obstructors that wants to keep the economy on their hands