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KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr Sihle Zikalala has hailed the giant funeral company Doves Group (Pty) Ltd for taking a giant step towards transforming the funeral industry.

Doves this week announced a wide range of interventions aimed at aiding struggling black funeral operators to gain essential capabilities to cope with the rigours of this sector. Meanwhile many black funeral business entities are experiencing numerous obstacles which had recently resulted in a call to ban all White and Indian owned funeral operators from trading in black township areas.

Last week Mr Zikalala convened a meeting of various stakeholders including some of the established companies such as the Doves Group where it was agreed for the establishment of a steering committee to address issues of transformation in this industry. Welcoming the new developments that have taken place since the steering committee was formed, MEC Zikalala said:

“We commend Doves Group for what they have done since we had a meeting with them. We have always maintained that issues of radical economic transformation can be accelerated if giant companies assist emerging black business to grow through making opportunities available for them and coaching.

What the Doves Group has done augurs well with the provincial government’s economic transformation programme aimed at empowering black people to create their own wealth in order to create jobs, eradicate poverty and redress economic imbalances. We call on other companies to do the same.”

Confirming her organisation’s commitment to change, Chief Executive Officer for Doves Group (Pty) Ltd, Ms Minki Rasenyalo said they would be among other things, establishing an insurance company for black operators and that emerging black entrepreneurs would also benefit as shareholders in the Funeral Academy for Africa to guarantee a systematic skills transfer whilst making Doves’ network of storage facilities available to black operators.

Issued by KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs