Organised business and Nedlac

The National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC),so they say, facilitates discussions to reach consensus between Government, organised business, organised labour and organised community groupings on various issues of social and economic policy. Important for me however is to know and understand the actors participating in NEDLAC and the extent to which their involvement influences the direction and the values of NEDLAC. Secondly and equally important is to know the background culture and the patriotic commitment of the actors involved in the discussions in the NEDLAC.

It is said that Business organisations such as the Chamber of Mines, the South African Chamber of Business (SACOB), the Black Business Council, the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce (NAFCOC), the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut (AHI), the Foundation for African Business and Consumer Services (FABCOS), the South African Foundation and foreign chambers of commerce in South Africa regularly liaise with Government and also comment on draft legislations. My concern though is not about their participation because that is necessary to influence the direction of the legislation but the greatest concern is whose interests are these organisations represent? Organisations exist for specific motives. Any organisations have their constituencies hence they carry mandate in whatever participation. The COSATU stand, protect and wish to continue representing the plight of the working class and the poor. They neither compromise nor hide their stand but I do not know what the organised business organisation stand for. In the last state of the nation address the president of the republic pointed out that the last decade has been kind to the business. He complained that they lack the will and the commitment to nation building and alleviation of poverty.

On the B-BEE seminar Bongani Ngeleza reveal shocking statistics saying that black owned public enterprises listed in the JSE comprises less than 2% while Blacks makes about 39.9 million of the total 45 million national populations. Also mentioned that black women CEOs and black CEOs in general in the private sector raises questions. Now this confirm my suspicion that business sector in South Africa is not as patriotic as it should be or they are patriotic but not facilitated enough to participate in nation building.

However the lack of commitment in the business might also be caused by the fact that there is a lack in government commitment to actively participate in Nedlac. On 29 September 2005 in weekly newspaper Mail and Guardians, Sibiya of BUSA complained that “there are very few directors attending meetings at Nedlac” in addition he also pointed out that when ministers are required to attend crucial meetings in Nedlac they do not come. My analysis therefore tells me that there are draft legislation debates which when facilitated by Nedlac end up taking directions which they would not have had the participation from government been adequate. Vic van Vuuren, the chief operating officer of Busa, in the same newspaper, was quoted as saying “The truth is that when ministers are required to attend crucial meetings in Nedlac, they do not come.