Thami Mazwai Commentary: "South African Blacks In Business Must Do It For Themselves, & Not Rely Upon The Government"

Argues the director of the Center for Small Business Development at the University of Johannesburg: "Friday night was also an evening in which Soweto business accepted that it holds the key to the area’s socioeconomic revival. For once, there was no reference to what national, provincial or local government is doing or not doing. The expectations in black communities about what the government should be doing for them are frightening. The ruling party is to blame for this as it cultivated this entitlement syndrome. While it made sense in 1994 for the African National Congress, straight from the liberation struggle, to assure the black community that things were going to change, it went overboard and virtually recreated itself as the sole provider of everything, including jobs. Fortunately, the penny is now dropping that this is not possible."

He continues: "The business people at the function [honoring one of South Africa's biggest beneficiaries of the affirmative-action-oriented Black Economic Empowerment program] accept that they must take responsibility for job creation. This is, in any case, the only route to take, as we cannot have a situation in which black business is always pleading for this and that, or wanting 10% of this or that company. It is humiliating and shows no pride or foresight. If blacks want to own the economy, it will not be via the 10% apportioned in BEE deals."

More commentary from Mr. Mazwai: "In the 1970s, the then president of the National African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sam Motsuenyane, argued that blacks should see themselves as producers of goods and services in order to get a fair slice of the economy. If these sentiments and those echoed on Friday night are replicated in other townships, we could be on the road to prosperity and self-respect. Let the government create the environment, but black people must start businesses to revitalise and grow a competitive economy."