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, in its position 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.