Indians keep BEE status
ONE big misinterpretation – that’s the view of senior government officials following media reports that Indian and coloured South Africans were not black enough to be given preference for government tenders.
It all stemmed from a draft document that was doing the rounds in the national treasury as to whichgroups should be given preference for government business under R10 million.
Two main factors were taken into account – price and specific goals – including one which read “individuals who had no franchise in the national elections before the 1983 and 1993 constitutions”.
In 1983 Indians and coloureds were given some political control through the House of Delegates and of Representatives.
Initial media reports suggested as a result of this these communities would no longer be eligible for broadbased black economic empowerment.
This would have been a radical change in government policy. Since 1994, Indians, coloureds and Africans were classified black and received preferential treatment over whites.
Ravi Pillay, the MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works in KwaZulu-Natal, expressed shock at “efforts to divide our people”.
He said: “The draft regulations haven’t been signed. Their contents do not support headlines we’ve seen.
“Indian and coloured people are part of the category defined as historically disadvantaged individuals. This has not changed.”
Pillay said this had been confirmed at a high-level procurement indaba in Durban, organised by the KZN premier’s office.
He said Premier Senzo Mchunu had stressed the need to ensure public procurement benefited all communities.
In a letter to the media, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said: “The assumption that coloured and Indian businesses would not get preference points for state tenders worth less than R10m is simply wrong.
“Nowhere in the draft amendments is the exclusion of coloured and Indian people considered.
“These draft amendments are not yet public because the treasury is soliciting views within government. Only after this will they be finalised and gazetted for public comment.”