1 February 2023 | Fever Reporter
The national government will be lobbied to move with speed to ensure the passing of the new Public Procurement Bill.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said it is firmly behind the broad-based black economic empowerment (BBB-EE).
The party’s provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo said BBBEE is an instrument designed to fast-track the entry of indigenous people into all sectors of the economy as owners and creators of wealth.
Mtolo said the ANC has noted comments on various social media platforms that the ANC government is abolishing BBB-EE.
“Unless otherwise stated, the ANC understands that Public Procurement Bill, which the National Treasury submitted to the President and Parliament repeals the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework, or Preferential Procurement Regulations of 2017. The Bill is aimed at unifying the currently fragmented laws dealing with public sector procurement by creating a single regulatory framework for local, provincial and national governments, as well as State-owned enterprises. The 2017 regulations under the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act were in contravention of Section 217 of the Constitution,” said Mtolo.
He added that the Constitution is very clear regarding the role of the state. It says: “The State must implement a preferential procurement policy that advances people who have been disadvantaged by unfair discrimination.” Mtolo said the new Preferential Procurement Regulations are therefore aimed at addressing these issues.
“Regarding BBB-EE, for our part as the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal we have resolved that the national government will be lobbied to move with speed to ensure the passing of the new Public Procurement Bill, rollout of province-wide awareness roadshows to explain and promote the implementation of the new preferential procurement regulations, ensure that stricter measures are put in place to deal decisively with corrupt elements involved in the looting of state resources using new Preferential Procurement Regulations, ANC will mobilize communities and all stakeholders to join hands and fight the practice of fronting using BBB-EE. Fronting is not only unethical but is fraudulent and a criminal offence. We have witnessed the practice of using domestic workers to sustain this practice. We want law enforcement agencies and the court of law to come down hard on those who are defrauding government through this practice,” said Mtolo.
‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’