New BBBEE just another setback that will worsen corruption, political killings

The economic recovery which South Africa desperately needs, suffered a setback when President Cyril Ramaphosa used his latest weekly “news” letter to further entrench black economic empowerment (BEE) with the new broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE).

In related news, an ANC ward councillor is among the suspects arrested this week in connection with the murder of two ANC members near Durban last year. Here’s the connection.

There is no selfless struggle in the ANC. There is unending contestation for political public office, not to serve the greater good but to get well-paying jobs that can be (illegally) used as a treasure trove of patronage.

Intra-ANC killings have been going on in KZN for decades. Comrades kill each other, not to improve service delivery.

They do so in order to secure contracts, tenders, and other favours for friends and family, no matter what the Preferential Procurement Act, the Municipal Finance Management Act, and other laws say.

Comrades have been getting away with this and they have no intention of stopping. It’s ingrained in ANC culture which bankrupts municipalities and mocks service delivery.

How does this tie in with black economic empowerment? BEE in all its manifestations, including broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE), goes hand-in-hand with the ANC’s official policy of cadre deployment.

Both are used to dispense jobs, contracts and tenders, not on the basis of merit but on political allegiance and/or race.

Political killings in the ANC are driven by factionalism and greed. Cadre A will kill Cadre B if he believes B’s election to office will cut A off from patronage.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa announces new BBBEE Council to ‘champion economic transformation’

Racial preferencing via BEE adds another layer to this abuse of taxpayers’ money. Contracts secured through cadre abuse of public office are awarded according to race-based scoring criteria.

When fitness for purpose is not the overriding criterion in the appointment of public servants, it is illogical to expect the best possible service delivery.

Instead, you get the most transformed service delivery, which is not necessarily the same thing. Taxpayers’ money is used for transformation.

Transformation is obviously necessary in a country which has endured centuries of racial oppression. But when transformation is elevated above all other considerations, including the best person for the job, we should not be surprised if we don’t always get the best service.

This is not to suggest that excellence is racebased; only that elevating race above merit must logically move excellence down the ladder of expected outcomes.

Ramaphosa writes: “Economic transformation and economic growth are intertwined. There cannot be one without the other.”

This is contentious. Economic transformation and economic growth are indeed intertwined. Without sufficient transformation there is unlikely to be sufficient social stability to allow for the best possible economic growth.

However, when transformation is in practice based on race and political factionalism and nevertheless regarded as sacrosanct, it is economically ruinous.

When you have crooked incompetents running the country, the announcement of a new BBBEE Advisory Council is not a great leap forward.