While President Zuma has spent the week on a rest cure in Russia, the big story that has dominated the headlines and cluttered the news pages for the past two weeks is the conflict between Public Protector Thuli Madonsela and President Zuma’s protectors over the unauthorised millions spent on his private residence Nkandla. We are not going to comment, as this is obviously an evolving story and we expect that there will be some dramatic developments on this issue in the next couple of weeks. We consider the pick of the many commentaries on the issue is Allister Sparks’ column in Business Day and the Cape Times yesterday (27 August) under the heading "Zuma is reaping what he sowed as Malema revolts". The column can be read in its entirety on the web.

Our concern rather is with the statement of industrial policy made on Monday by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mzwandile Masina which centres on the DTI’s commitment to “creating 100 black industrialists in three years”. Coupled to this is the announcement that the system of BEE accreditation and verification which, until now has been handled by certain agencies, will be taken over by DTI. On this point, we are pleased to see that we are not alone in our concern.

John Kane-Berman, who so capably headed up the South African Institute of Race Relations for over 30 years, in his column makes two points. Firstly, he doubts whether the department can accommodate this function. And secondly, he points to the marvelous potential for corruption – and, given experience, who can doubt that?

But this arrangement is also, in our view, just another instance of the ANC's determined and concentrated drive for central and executive state control of the economy. The bilateral investment treaties, which DTI unilaterally cancelled to the anger of German companies in particular, is problematic if you want to nationalise a particular industry. The same applies to accepting a highly positive South Korean investment into Telkom, which the Telkom board supported, because Telkom is a target for nationalisation. Municipal registration of every business in its jurisdiction? A brilliant short-cut to gaining control of whole sections of the economy.

But to get back to the "creation” of 100 black industrialists over the next three years which, according to the Deputy Minister Mzwandile Masina, “is part of the government's radical economic transformation”. He goes on: "The local procurement aspect of the B-BBEE policy and other government procurement practices by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in particular, will offer black industrialists better access to markets and strengthen their sustainability. In its current form, the PPPFA (Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act) does not assist our transformation ideals.  There should be a process of changing this piece of legislation to actualise the agenda of black industrialists…. Over the next five years a host of working opportunities will become available to South Africans. For example, a new generation of black industrialists will be driving the re-industrialisation of our country…. We will soon launch an incentive scheme that will specifically focus on black industrialists. We will centralize BEE accreditation, because, as things stand at the moment, it is open for abuse", the Deputy Minister said.

The speech is on the DTI website and no doubt will be read with varying concern if you're a potential investor or somebody who believes that a mixed economy with an essentially enabling government partner and a creative and self-driven private sector is the way to go. And, of course, read with very different emotions depending on whether you are a black or non-black South African.

But turning to the central idea that industrialists are “created” and, in this instance, created by the state and tax payers money is, of course, nonsense. Industrialists create themselves. Most are entrepreneurs, creative people who work and have worked unbelievably hard, who have often found themselves in emotionally-debilitating financial circumstances, and even at the bottom of the mountain but who’ve had the guts and cleverness to climb back up. These are the sort of men and women this country needs and that is what our black business community needs - because these are the people who will create jobs. And it is not as though there haven't been or aren't models within the black business community to follow. To mention a few within our acquaintance – Richard Maponya and his (late wife) Marina – Herman Mashaba of Black Like Me fame - Wiseman Nkuhlu – Gloria Serobe  and her fellows at Whiphold – Phuthuma Nhleko not of MTN but Worldwide African Invest fame – Vusi Khanyile - Litha Nyhonyha and somebody like Mphathi Nyewe, a smart and gutsy individual entrepreneur.