Zuma: BEE Commission will ‘eradicate the scourge of fronting’

Its “practice…does not advance economic transformation; rather‚ it seeks to subvert it”‚ he told members of the B-BBEE (broad-based black economic empowerment) Advisory Council at the Union Buildings.

“I am therefore pleased that we are dealing with this matter. The establishment of the BEE Commission is significant because one of its principal objectives is to eradicate the scourge of fronting‚” Zuma said.

“Creating a class of black industrialists and entrepreneurs lies at the heart of the transformation of the economy.

“It is‚ however‚ critical that we go about black economic empowerment the right way.”

Zuma said that “political freedom without economic freedom is incomplete”‚ and the “significance of inclusive growth was brought into sharp focus when I met with black professionals at the beginning of this year here in Pretoria”.

“What was remarkable about that meeting was that they raised similar issues for which the B-BBEE Advisory Council was established in the first place. Following the meeting with black professionals I have decided to establish a Presidential Working Group to serve as a forum to ensure the issues affecting black professionals are attended to.

“The Presidential B-BBEE Advisory Council should be able to interface with and find areas of convergence with the Black Professionals Working Group. In fact‚ we envisage that many of the issues raised by the Black Professionals Working Group will find a home in the BEE Advisory Council at an implementation level.”