Cape Town – Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau has reaffirmed the continuity of affirmative action policies like Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) under the seventh administration, emphasising their role in social justice, equity, and redress.
Tau addressed the press during the Cabinet Lekgotla in Tshwane, which coincided with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership of the inaugural Government of National Unity (GNU) Lekgotla over the weekend.
The event outlined the action plan for the seventh administration, focusing on key governmental initiatives and priorities.
“These are foundational principles to the establishment of the Government of National Unity. Included in there are priorities in relation to social justice, equity and redress. Therefore, these are parties that have come together on the basis of collectively addressing transformation because we have committed to redress in the foundational principles.
“The question is what do we do going forward? Of course, we need to look at the next wave of [BBBEE]…where there are lessons to be learnt, we take those lessons into account and where there are greater opportunities to be introduced we need to be able to introduce those.
Parks Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, said affirmative action policies like B-BBEE, will not be scrapped under the government of national unity.
Tau said all parties in the GNU have committed to social justice, redress and transformation. TCG pic.twitter.com/0A7xqw9JDD
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) July 13, 2024
He outlined a commitment to advancing transformation through lessons learned and new opportunities, while focusing on industrialisation and economic growth.
“We have placed this firmly on the agenda of the programmes that would be driven by this administration and that is why we always say we are focussing on industrialisation, but we are equally focussing on transformation,” he said.
Tau highlighted Operation Vulindela as pivotal for enhancing network industries, energy, logistics, and the digital economy to stimulate job creation and broaden economic participation in South Africa.
“This would be a focus on network industries amongst others…looking at energy, looking at logistics in particular, the digital economy and other areas. The fact that we’ve made significant progress in that regard enables us to use that as a springboard to grow the economy focussed on industrialisation and re-industrialisation.
“But also, a deliberate and conscious focus on transformation because of course, this will enable us to broaden the base of entrepreneurs in the country [and] to broaden the base of participants in the economy of this country and enable us to grow the jobs that this country so much needs,” Tau said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
