Dr. Rob Davies, minister of trade and industry, today confirmed in the parliamentary portfolio committee on trade and industry that the new BEE codes will be enforceable from 1 May of this year, Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus’ parliamentary spokesperson on trade and industry says.

Adv. Alberts says the FF Plus is still opposed to BEE and views it to be unconstitutional as it sharpens racial legislation rather than paying attention to proper development such as business development.

He says the Constitutional Court has already found that legislation which isn’t rationally linked to an outcome is unconstitutional. The BEE legislation is therefore specifically irrational because it has not at all succeeded in creating jobs and the reduction of poverty.

According to Adv. Alberts, the outgoing CEO of FirstRand, Sizwe Nxasana is on the mark when he said that the state should carry the blame for the low levels of black ownership of the economy and not the private sector.

“The FF Plus agrees with Nxasana that BEE has failed and it is government’s fault. The government’s focus for development is wrong and should be directed at creating new businesses, training of entrepreneurs and the creation of tax incentives for small enterprises.

“Too much emphasis is placed on the creation of wealth through ownership of shares in existing businesses. It is merely a redistribution of the existing cake and does not grow the economy, but dampens existing businesses.

“Government should move away from the new apartheid of racial legislation as it is increasing the gap between rich and poor. The truth is that the majority of whites and blacks are becoming more impoverished and small groups of black and whites are are becoming wealthier, without the economy growing.

“It is time that government starts realising this truth. The FF Plus is working at getting rid of economic racial legislation through firstly bringing affirmative action in the public service to an end.

“The FF Plus has already entered into talks about this issue with government and will continue with it until successes have been achieved.

Issued by FF Plus