Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse Executive Director Wayne Duvenage and Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution Executive Secretary Lawson Naidoo will meet to hammer out solutions to deal with corruption in South Africa’s public and private sectors on the first day of the 2018 Southern African Metals and Engineering Indaba.
The last decade has seen the cancer that is corruption spread in both the public and private sectors, resulting not only in credit rating agencies downgrading South Africa, but also in halting South Africa’s sustainable economic, political and social progress.
The 2016 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index found that South Africa was ranked as the most corrupt country in Africa by respondents in the Global Corruption Barometer on Africa. The report identifies elevated levels of vulnerability in the private sector’s provision of services to State-owned companies and government departments.
Allegations of state capture, misdemeanor at State-owned entities such as Eskom as well felony at Steinhoff also serve as evidence of corruption that has stifled South Africa over the last decade.
Commenting on this plenary session, Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) Chief Executive Officer Kaizer Nyatsumba said business needs to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to corruption.
“As a country, we cannot afford to let corruption continue to spread unchallenged. Collectively, we have an obligation to address corruption as a key factor that undermines our economic and social progress. It is against this backdrop that we have dedicated a plenary session to dealing with corruption,” said Mr Nyatsumba.
He said that while it was encouraging that the Ramaphosa administration so far appeared to have embarked on a commendable campaign to fight corruption, it was also important for business and civil society to be part of that campaign.
“The new administration cannot do it alone. Together with government and organised labour, we as the business community must act speedily and decisively against corruption and restore good governance in both the public and private sectors,” said Mr Nyatsumba.
Other topics that will feature prominently during the 2018 Indaba include:
- Working Together to Improve South Africa’s Sovereign Credit Rating
- The Continental Free Trade Area: How Much Progress Has Been Made to Date?
- How much of the National Development Plan has been implemented – and is it still relevant?
- Exploring and Leveraging the Link Between the Metals and Engineering Sector and the Mining, Construction and Auto Manufacturing Industries
- Constraints to investing in the Metals and Engineering Sector and improving trade on the African continent
- Radical Economic Transformation, the Black Industrialists Programme and the Metals and Engineering Sector
- Innovation and Excellence as Strategic Levers for Global Competitiveness
- Administered Prices As Factors Negatively Affecting South Africa’s International Competitiveness: Can we Change the Situation?
President Cyril Ramaphosa is billed to deliver the opening address. Among the high-profile speakers expected to address the conference are:
- Cabinet Ministers Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Dr Zweli Mkhize, and Nhlanhla Nene
- Business leaders like Business Unity South Africa CEO Tanya Cohen, Black Business Council CEO Kganki Matabane, ArcelorMittal General Manager: Africa Overland Alph Ngapo, Africa House Director Duncan Bonnett, Africa@Work CEO Dinna Games, Hazleton Pump International Managing Director Mathys Wehmer, former Atlantis Foundries CEO Pieter du Plessis, Eskom CEO Phakamani Hadebe, Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama, PWC South Africa Director Andrew Shaw, National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA Director Nico Vermeulen and Master Builders Executive Director Roy Mnisi;
- Policy makers and civil service representatives like Department of Trade and Industry (Dti) Director-General Lionel October, and Dti Chief Director for Africa Multilateral Economic Relations Wamkele Mene;
- Representatives of global organisations like World Bank Group Lead Economist John Gabriel and International Finance Corporation Senior Investment Officer Paul Mukasa;
- Civil society leaders like Federation of Unions of South Africa General Secretary Dennis George and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini;
- Politicians like ANC Economic Transformation Head Enoch Godongwana, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry Geordin Hill-Lewis and DA Shadow Minister for Public Enterprises Natasha Mazzone; and
- academics like University of Stellenbosch Social Justice Chair and former Public Protector Professor Thuli Madonsela and University of the Free State Visiting Professor JP Landman.
The 2018 Indaba will take place on 20 – 21 September at the IDC Conference Centre in Sandton.