Setting the tone
AS PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa delivers his State of the Nation Address (Sona) today, Sekunjalo executive chairperson Dr Iqbal Survé has called on him to recognise that the custodians of transformation and empowerment in South Africa needed to be supported.
Sona is by far one of the most important events on the calendar, as it sets the tone for the government’s work in addressing the country’s challenges and improving the lives of all South Africans.
Survé said it would not be enough that the president only spoke about his vision for the country and the challenges he faced. “It is important that he recognises that those custodians of transformation and empowerment need to be supported.
“South Africa cannot go back to the days where black people, in particular, were marginalised. In fact, black people should be applauded. And it’s important for the president to ensure that real
transformation in the economy occurs, even if it means upsetting some of the very powerful institutions out there today. After all, what is liberation without real transformation?
“I am confident that the president will address these issues.” Survé said South Africa was at a crossroads and it would be fair to say that there was a fight for the soul of the country.
“It would be foolish to try and frame this fight in the context of internal battles within the ANC or battles between political parties and other entities. The fight is much greater than that; the fight is about the kind of South Africa that we want to see, those that are committed to an inclusive, participatory economy.”
He said the definition of an inclusive economy could not be simply that poor black people must be consumers, but that they must also be owners, entrepreneurs and leaders of the economy.
“The fight is about the kinds of business models, about actively seeking and creating opportunities that allow people to fulfil their potential, no matter where they come from.
“I have spent more than 20 years building the Sekunjalo Group. For 20 years we were clear about our mission.
“Our mission is to use business as a tool to create a better society. Our mission is to genuinely give opportunities to black South Africans, particularly in line with Nelson Mandela’s statement on the importance of affirmative action and empowerment in our economy.
“Our mission is to do this in a non-racial way, which is to use South Africa’s talent to build businesses that are sustainable, profitable and ethical.”
He made mention of the fact that the majority of South African corporates failed to create career pathways for black people, black business people, managers and professionals. The most recent statistics spoke for themselves, that the majority of corporate South Africa, regrettably, remained 70% white and male, which was a far cry from the country’s demographics.
Survé said it was only through being truly independent that Sekunjalo was able to give credence and opportunity for the development of black talent, in particular. “We cannot be apologetic about that in a country that is 84% black and where the top and middle management represent less than 20% of black people in their structures.”
He highlighted the importance of a value system that placed people before profits. He spoke of how Sekunjalo built social contracts with workers and trade unions in all of its businesses, how it used its resources to impact positively on society and how it distributed profits not just to shareholders, but to an extensive philanthropic initiative.
“The philosophy of people before profits is that it symbolises that it is people that ultimately determine a company’s success or failure, it is people that make up a company. It is not a legal entity without people; it is people that fundamentally determine the trajectory of a company.”
Survé sent a barb to all detractors, saying: “The attack on Sekunjalo is an attack on genuine and authentic empowerment in this country. It is an attempt to roll back the gains that progressive people have made post our liberation, it is the fight for the soul of our country, it is a fight between those who want to use exploitative practices in order to derive profits.
“What Sekunjalo is experiencing is not just an attack of one of its businesses, but an attack on all of its business. We have no problems with anyone asking questions, seeking engagements with any of our investments or subsidiaries. On the contrary, we welcome that. We have no problem with anyone reporting on our businesses.”