The cost of business: Xolani Qubeka

‘The BBC is against any corrupt practices’

Remarks attributed to President Jacob Zuma at the ANC’s anniversary gala in Durban last weekend have attracted scrutiny. He reportedly told business leaders that those who support the ruling party would ‘prosper’. Andile Ntingi spoke to five business leaders to get their opinions

» Xolani Qubeka  Black Business Council CEO
Having been at the dinner, in our opinion the president was in a jovial mood and made these remarks in jest and made many jokes. It is inconceivable the president would implicitly say in public to business that ANC membership equals government deals.

In his speech the next day, the president was emphatic in pronouncing government’s resolve to fight corruption. The Black Business Council (BBC) is against any corrupt practices.

In the past, the National Party had a very strong relationship with white business, to the extent that business then was in collusion with government in busting sanctions and excluding blacks from the mainstream economy.

For us as the BBC, we support the resolutions taken in Mangaung, particularly those aimed at eradicating racism, inequality, poverty and unemployment. The economy is stagnant and still marginalises the black majority.

For the past 19 years, we lived in hope that our white counterparts would embrace the new order and demonstrably engage in robust initiatives to broaden the economy, but instead, we have seen mainstream fronting and sugar-coated BEE schemes.