‘B-BBEE, transformation policies meant to enhance reconciliation’ – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa says fostering reconciliation is paramount in addressing the challenges faced by South Africans, such as unemployment and inequality.

This underscores the significance of implementing transformational policies like the broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE), according to the president.

‘Uncomfortable truths’

Speaking during the Reconciliation Day commemoration event held at the Thohoyandou Stadium in Limpopo on Saturday, Ramaphosa said inequality remained the greatest challenge to a “meaningful and lasting reconciliation in our country”.

“Central to the advancement of reconciliation must, therefore, be a concerted effort to end poverty and unemployment and meaningfully reduce inequality,” he said in his speech.

The president said such issues needed to be resolved by advancing the economic position of South Africans denied opportunities pre-democracy.

“Our tasked is a huge task because we have to deal with the damage that was done by Apartheid where many of our people were related to the past. We do have to talk about that as well while many other people say ‘please stop talking about Apartheid’. We do talk about it because it continues to cast a shadow on the lives of our people.

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“We also have to deal with the present situation that our people find themselves in requires we must do extraordinary things to improve their lives.”

He defended transformation policies like B-BBEE, affirmative action and preferential procurement as they were introduced to address the “imbalances” created during the years of apartheid.

“These pieces of legislation are meant to enhance reconciliation. They are meant to ensure that we reconcile, we become one nation, a nation that looks forward and addresses the challenges that we all face,” the president continued.

Watch the event below:

Ramaphosa further said it was crucial that honest and open conversations about injustices of the past were being held “in our journey of reconciliation”.

“It is only when we talk about what has gone wrong in the past and what is going wrong right now so we can heal the wounds that were inflicted on us. We must confront the uncomfortable truths and learn from them and work together to create a society where everyone can thrive regardless of their background or identity.”

‘Power of reconciliation’

Earlier, Ramaphosa noted South Africa will soon be 30 years old under democratic rule.

“Some of the world’s oldest democracies are still grappling with racial and ethnic tensions among their people. And yet South Africa, despite its many challenges, has not slid into the morass of bigotry, racism and tribalism that is prevalent many other societies. This is what we celebrate today, and every year on national Reconciliation Day,” he told the crowd in attendance.

The president also pointed out how the country witnessed the “power of reconciliation” when national rugby team, Springboks, won the Rugby World Cup in France in October.

“To have seen so many South Africans of all races and all ages rallying behind the team, showing their support so passionately and joining in the victory celebrations reminded us that, despite our many challenges, we are a united nation, proud of who we are and proud of how far we have come.

“The proud and resilient South African spirit has carried us through the many difficulties of the past and it will continue to do so well into the future.”

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