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The Director-General of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), Mr Lionel October says South Africa cannot grow its economy without empowerment of black people. October was speaking at the launch of the Broad-Based Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sector Council in Midrand today.

According to October, black people constitutes 90% of the population in South Africa and therefore should be empowered to participate meaningfully in the economy to ensure economic growth.

“No economy can grow if it excludes the majority of its population. Empowerment and economic growth are not mutually exclusive and should go together. Our economy is sustained by the black middle class who forms over six million of our population and therefore we cannot grow the economy without growing this market,” he highlighted.

October said although the growth in the South African economy had been slow, there have been pockets of success because the fundamentals were very strong. He added that the manufacturing and services sector had registered growth, as the key sectors of mining and agriculture struggle, the latter mainly due to drought.

He urged the industry to implement the B-BBEE legislation in order to empower black people and ensure growth of the ICT sector.

The Acting Commissioner of the B-BBEE Commission, Ms Zodwa Ntuli said all sector codes must be aligned to the B-BBEE legislation and was looking forward to working with the ICT sector to ensure proper implementation of the B-BBEE sector codes.

“B-BBEE should be taken seriously because its intentions are to create more black people in business, as blacks are not only supposed to be employees in companies,” she added.

She said the B-BEEE Commission was available to provide advice to businesspeople on the legitimacy of B-BBEE business deals that they are offered. Ntuli added that the Commission would also issue reports on the status of B-BBEE in the country.

Launching the Council, the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Mr Siyabonga Cwele said the sector specific codes would open up participation by different groups within the sector. The council that he has appointed was representative of all stakeholders and sub-sectors in the ICT sector. He added that the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies has approved the codes for immediate operation, which were gazetted yesterday.

“We hope all who have been marginalised will be able to benefit from the codes and participate meaningfully in the ICT sector,” he added.

Issued by Department of Trade and Industry