28 MARCH 2001, JOHANNESBURG
"I AM PLANNING TO CONVENE A MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH THE AVIATION AND MARITIME SECTORS TO DISCUSS AND MAP A WAY FORWARD TO ADDRESS HUMAN RESOURCE CHALLENGES WITHIN A 5-10 YEAR FRAMEWORK"
IT IS INDEED AN HONOUR FOR ME TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS FUNDRAISING DINNER OF THE AVIATION TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION. I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO NOTE THE PRESENCE OF OUR FOREIGN GUESTS WHO SERVE AS VALUED PARTNERS TO MANY IN SOUTH AFRICA'S AVIATION COMMUNITY. I TRUST YOU WILL ENJOY THIS EVENING WITH US AND THAT YOUR STAY IN OUR COUNTRY WILL BE REWARDING AND MEMORABLE.
LAST YEAR WHEN MR. KUTSO MAMPUELE, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ATDF APPROACHED ME TO SERVE AS PATRON, I HAD ALREADY REGISTERED MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE STARK DEMOGRAPHIC IMBALANCES, WHICH CHARACTERISE THE AVIATION INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA.
I KNOW THAT FOR MANY, THE SEEMINGLY MIRACULOUS EMERGENCE OF A DEMOCRATIC SOUTH AFRICA FROM THE RUINOUS APARTHEID PAST, OBSCURES THE MANY DAMAGING LEGACIES OF RACIAL AND GENDER INEQUALITIES WHICH PERSIST, AND WILL ONLY BE VANQUISHED BY CONCERTED AND DELIBERATE POLICIES AND ACTIONS. I HENCE HAD VERY LITTLE HESITATION IN ASSOCIATING MYSELF WITH THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ATDF.
HOWEVER, I DID CAUTION KUTSO, THAT I DID NOT WANT TO BECOME A TITULAR FIGURE OF AN ORGANISATION OF NOBLE IDEALS ALONE. I WANTED TO SEE CONCRETE ACTION TO ADDRESS THE ALL TOO OBVIOUS CHALLENGES WE FACE IN OPENING UP THE AVIATION INDUSTRY TO ALL OUR PEOPLE IN SOUTH AFRICA.
I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT HE AND HIS TEAM HAVE AT LEAST STARTED TO DELIVER IN RESPONDING TO THAT CHALLENGE. AS MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, I HAVE FOUND THAT THE ISSUE OF THE LACK OF REPRESENTITIVITY IS NOT NECESSARILY CONFINED TO THE AVIATION INDUSTRY. I MENTION THE MARITIME INDUSTRY AS ONE CASE IN POINT WHERE WE FACE SIMILAR CHALLENGES.
AS GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE CLEARLY SET ABOUT ADDRESSING SUCH CHALLENGES ACROSS THE BOARD. THE RECENTLY CREATED EDUCATION AND TRAINING AUTHORITIES (TETA IN THE CASE OF THE TRANSPORT SECTOR), THE TRAINING LEVY, AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE EMPLOYMENT EQUITY ACT, SERVE AS IMPORTANT FOUNDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING BROADER HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AND SPECIFICALLY TARGETING RACIAL AND GENDER IMBALANCES INHERITED FROM OUR PAST.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT THE AVIATION INDUSTRY ENSURES THAT THE TRANSPORT EDUCATION AND TRAINING AUTHORITY (TETA) IS DEVELOPED INTO A VIBRANT AND EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION FOR IDENTIFYING TRAINING NEEDS AND SUPPORTING TARGETED AND STRATEGIC TRAINING INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO ADDRESS OUR OVERALL HUMAN RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS, AND MORE PARTICULARLY IN THIS INDUSTRY, THE RACIAL AND GENDER PROFILE OF OUR PERSONNEL AT ALL LEVELS.
I AM IN FACT PLANNING TO CONVENE A MEETING SOON WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH THE AVIATION AND MARITIME SECTORS TO DISCUSS AND MAP A WAY FORWARD TO ADDRESS THESE HUMAN RESOURCE CHALLENGES WITHIN A 5-10 YEAR FRAMEWORK, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR DEMONSTRABLE AND MEASURABLE CHANGES IN THESE SECTORS.
I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE MANY GOOD IDEAS AND INITIATIVES OUT THERE IN THE INDUSTRY AND THAT WE NOW NEED TO HARNESS AND COORDINATE SUCH IDEAS INTO AN INTEGRATED PROGRAMME OF ACTION. OUR RECENT HISTORY HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT WE AS SOUTH AFRICANS OFTEN SURPRISE OURSELVES AT OUR ABILITY TO CONFRONT WHAT SEEMS LIKE INSURMOUNTABLE PROBLEMS. I AM SURE WE CAN AND WILL SURPRISE OURSELVES YET AGAIN IN THIS RESPECT.
I SHOULD ALSO INDICATE, THAT THE CHALLENGE OF ADDRESSING THESE DEMOGRAPHIC IMBALANCES DOES NOT STOP AT TRAINING ALONE. THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO FIRMLY EMBRACE A CULTURE OF CHANGE, A CULTURE OF TRANSFORMATION, WHICH NOT ONLY WELCOMES AND ENCOURAGES THOSE WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY EXCLUDED TO JOIN IN, BUT ALSO TO ENCOURAGE THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW PATRIOTISM, A NEW SENSE OF BELONGING AMONG ALL OUR PERSONNEL.
TRANSFORMATION IS NOT ABOUT REPLACING OLD HIERARCHIES WITH NEW HIERARCHIES, OLD FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION WITH NEW DISCRIMINATION. IT IS ABOUT BUILDING THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA AT A MICRO LEVEL IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES AND AT OUR WORK PLACES. THOSE WHO ARE SKILLED AND BENEFITED FROM THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PAST MUST BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF CONSTRUCTING OUR VISION OF A SOCIETY FREE OF RACIAL AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION.
THIS FUNDRAISING DINNER IS, AS I UNDERSTAND, TARGETED AT RAISING FUNDS TO SUPPORT YOUNG BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS WHO HAD ENDURED A RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS FOR PILOT TRAINING. THE CANDIDATES WHO WILL BE SUPPORTED THROUGH THIS PROGRAMME WILL BE TRAINED FROM AB INITIO TO COMMERCIAL PILOT LEVEL. WHILE THE ATDF HAVE IDENTIFIED A SMALL GROUP OF ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES, WE STILL FACE TWO CRITICAL HURDLES.
FIRSTLY, WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE CANDIDATES WHO EMERGE SUCCESSFULLY FROM THIS TRAINING PROGRAMME ARE AFFORDED GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT AS PILOTS AT THE END OF THE COURSE AND SECONDLY, WE MUST ENSURE THAT WE FIND THE FUNDS TO SUPPORT ALL THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE SELECTION PROCESS.
I KNOW THAT THE ATDF DELIBERATELY LAUNCHED THIS INITIATIVE ON A SMALL SCALE AS A PILOT PROJECT (IF YOU EXCUSE THE PUN) AT FIRST TO ENSURE THAT THEIR SELECTION AND PLACEMENT PROCESS IS PROVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IT WOULD BE A SAD INDICTMENT OF OUR INDUSTRY IF WE ARE UNABLE TO RESOURCE EVEN SO SMALL AN INITIATIVE AT THIS STAGE. I WOULD THUS ENCOURAGE ALL TO DIG DEEP INTO YOUR POCKETS TO RISE TO THIS CHALLENGE TONIGHT AND ENSURE THAT ALL THE STUDENTS SELECTED ARE AFFORDED THIS TRAINING OPPORTUNITY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE YEAR LONG TRAINING COURSE AMOUNTS TO SOME R200,000 OR US$ 25,600 FOR OUR FOREIGN GUESTS.
I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THIS INITIAL PROGRAMME OF THE ATDF IS BUT A FORETASTE OF BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS TO COME AND APPEAL TO ALL TO SUPPORT SUCH INITIATIVES SO THAT WE SOON CAN CLAIM THIS SECTOR AS BEING A TRULY REPRESENTATIVE INDUSTRY OF OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.
DO ENJOY THE REST OF THE EVENING AND MAY THE ATDF CONTINUE ITS GOOD WORK ON AN EVEN LARGER SCALE.
DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, ALLOW ME TO RECORD AND ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ROLE MODELS FOR TRANSFORMATION IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY.
IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT ANY PROGRAMME AIMED AT TRANSFORMING THE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE INDUSTRY DRAWS ON ROLE MODELS TO CHAMPION THE CAUSE IN COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE VERY LITTLE OR NO FAMILIARITY WITH THE AVIATION SECTOR.
THE ATDF NEEDS TO CONSCIOUSLY BUILD ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE SMALL CADRE OF BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS IN THE AVIATION SECTOR, RECOGNIZING THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND DRAWING ON THEIR SUPPORT TO CHAMPION THE ATDF CAUSE.
AT PRESENT, KUTSO MAMPUELE IS THE FIRST BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN TO LEAD THE ATDF AND IS ONLY THE 2ND BLACK CEO OF A SOUTH AFRICAN AIRLINE. (ISRAEL SKOSANA, THE CURRENT CAA BOARD CHAIRMAN WAS 1ST WITH SA EXPRESS). TOGETHER WITH OTHER BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN AVIATION PROFESSIONALS SUCH AS THE ATDF VICE-CHAIRMAN, TREVOR ABRAHAMS (THE 1ST BLACK COMMISSIONER FOR CIVIL AVIATION), MS. WEZI KHOSA, SENIOR TRAINING MANAGER SAA, FRED RANDA, GENERAL MANAGER HR AT ATNS, MS. CHARMAINE LODEWYK, MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS, ACSA, VICTOR NOSI, VICE PRESIDENT CORPORATE SERVICES SAA, NASSER SOLOMON, MANAGER: TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT, SANLAM, REPRESENT IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS WHO ARE WILLING TO PLOW BACK IN ORDER TO TRANSFORM THIS INDUSTRY.
THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES OF BLACK LEADERSHIP IN AVIATION SUCH AS MR. ZOLLIE KUNENE WHO HEADS GRINTEK, A SOUTH AFRICAN AVIATION COMPONENT MANUFACTURER WHO NOW EXPORTS HI TECH AVIATION PRODUCTS TO THE EUROPEAN MARKET. THE AFRICAN AVIATION MAGAZINE AWARDED MR. KUNENE A SPECIAL RECOGNITION LAST NIGHT AT ITS CONFERENCE FOR WHAT IS OCNSIDERED THE ONLY CASE OF AN AFRICAN LEAD MANUFACTURER EXPORTING SUCCESSFULLY TO THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE EUROPEAN AVIATION MARKET.
THERE ARE ALSO A FEW LEADERS IN THE SAAF WHO LARGELY REMAIN OBSCURED FROM THE PUBLIC EYE BUT SHOULD BE SUPPORTED IN PROMOTING THE AVIATION INDUSTRY AMONG THE PREVIOUSLY DISADVANTAGED.
LET ME ALSO MENTION IN CONCLUSION THAT YESTERDAY I ANNOUCED THREE NEW GENERAL MANAGERS AT ACSA, NAMELY MR. BONGANI MASEKO TO HEAD JOHANNESBURG AIRPORT, MR. MONWABISI KALAWE TO HEAD THE CAPE TOWN AIRPORT AND MR. CLOETE TO HEAD THE DURBAN AIRPORT.
THANK YOU