The Black Business Council (BBC), the BBC in the Built Environment and the Forum for
Radical Economic Transformation (FRET) on Thursday condemned the disruption by
local business forums of construction projects in South Africa.
The parties met to discuss issues focusing on local economic
participation in the construction sector.
BBC, as leader of black business in South Africa, called for the meeting to
address these critical matters with relevant parties, as well as to get to know
the FRET better as an organisation, understand its roots and learn about its
successes and challenges since formation.
Of particular concern to the parties is the “mushrooming” of local business forums in the country. This
proliferation was noted as a problem, as these forums have been involved in
violent disruptions of construction sites in recent months.
The three entities distanced themselves from these tactics and
unequivocally condemned them. Moreover, such tactics were noted as undermining
the work being done by these entities to push for radical economic
transformation.
The entities reiterated that they would continue to challenge the
exclusion of black building contractors in the construction industry; however, they
emphasised that this had to be done in a respectable manner that does not
destroy the confidence of an already constrained sector.
They warned, however, that if the exclusion of black-owned contracting firms was not dealt with, it could result in a volatile situation that would affect the construction sector and the broader economy. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/organisations-call-for-responsible-transformation-in-the-construction-sector-2019-04-18/rep_id:4136
