The curse of the Nafcoc deputy president post

The position of deputy president at the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) is fast developing the reputation of being a poisoned ­chalice.

Pinky Mkhize, who was suspended last week, is the fourth to suffer such a fate in the past seven years. The first suspension dates back to 2003 when mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, who was then the organisation’s president, suspended ­Vincent Phaahla for misconduct.

Phaahla had raised concerns in the media about a merger process with the predominantly white South African Chamber of Business (now the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry) without consulting the rank and file of Nafcoc. His suspension was eventually lifted.

After that incident, the shenanigans in the deputy president’s office ceased. But they began again about two years ago. During this period, two deputies have been suspended for sowing divisions within the organisation, while a third was accused of damaging the chamber’s name.

Two years ago, Lawrence Mavundla faced the wrath of Nafcoc’s disciplinary machine when then president Buhle Mthethwa put him on ice for allegedly leaking information to City Press about Nafcoc’s eviction after it failed to pay the rent for its Sandton head office.

Mavundla was also accused of speaking to the media and was later suspended. This was seen as undermining Mthethwa because, according to the chamber’s rules, the president of Nafcoc is the official spokesperson. Mavundla appealed the suspension and the charges were declared baseless and were dropped.

After the charges were dropped, ­Mavundla was emboldened and his leadership ambitions were revived.

He gunned for Mthethwa and her vice-president, Vish Maharaj, ­suspending them for placing the ­organisation’s name into disrepute by marching against Nafcoc’s ­investment arm, Nafhold.

Mavundla later fired the two.

As he preached peace in his first months in office as president, many had expected to see Nafcoc’s disciplinary machine cease to exist. But nine months later, the deputy president’s position was in the spotlight again with the suspension of Mkhize. She was charged with giving ­entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal the go-ahead to register new sectors without seeking permission from Nafcoc’s highest decision-making body, the federal council.

Archie Nkonyeni, the former president of Nafcoc, refused to be drawn on why the position of deputy president had become a poisoned chalice.

“I have been out of touch with what has been happening at Nafcoc for years and I cannot comment on the recent happenings.”

Nkonyeni, however, expressed disappointment at the manner in which leaders and deputies of various organisations had handled ­internal conflicts. He cited examples involving former president Thabo Mbeki and his then deputy Jacob Zuma; ­Congress of the People president Mosiuoa Lekota and his deputy ­Mbhazima Shilowa; and the ANC Youth League deputy president Andile Lungisa and his president ­Julius Malema.

“It is worrying that it has become a syndrome in our country to have presidents of organisations see their deputies as threats,” said Nkonyeni.

“If leadership battles spill into the public arena, this creates an impression that the presidents lack self-confidence in their leadership ­capabilities and the ­organisation does not have a well-managed ­succession plan.”

Samuel Motsuenyane, president of Nafcoc between 1968 and 1992, could not comment on Mkhize’s ­suspension specifically.

“All I know is that during my term in office, no one was ever suspended and we never had leadership battles that degenerated into street fights,” he said, adding that having three Nafcoc deputy presidents suspended in a short space of time created a public image that there was instability within the organisation.

“Such friction is normally caused by personality clashes, personal ­ambitions and lack of loyalty,” ­Motsuenyane said.

- City Press