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The politically sensitive arena of black economic empowerment - thought to be an antidote to apartheid but failed in transforming the economy of South Africa - has been brought under the spotlight by anti-apartheid activist and industry thought leader Jenny Cargill.
Cargill, a former journalist turned specialist in transformational investment and black economic empowerment will address the club on BEE, the policy, the lessons learnt and the future challenges. She speaks to us in the wake of her controversial new book soon to hit the shelves called Trick or Treat: The Future of Black Economic Empowerment in which she calls for new thinking and nimble-footed policy-making in the BEE arena in future.
Cargill, who is the protagonist in an award winning film on her exile in East Germany for the ANC, established a think tank called BusinessMap to monitor South Africa’s economic transition on her return to SA in 1994. Her organisation published unique research into changing investment trends and promoted dialogue between the new political leadership and the business establishment. In 2002, Jenny placed BusinessMap’s research activities in a not-for-profit foundation. Since then she has focused on advisory work, in the main, structuring BEE transactions for South African and multinational corporations, such as BP SA, BHP Billiton, Sasol Mining, Impala Platinum and Discovery Holdings. Her expertise lies in strategic perspectives on economic and investment sustainability, with particular emphasis on societies in transition and people who are economically marginalized.
She says the fact that BEE seems to have survived the global financial collapse – unlike in the Nineties after the Asian market crisis – is little cause for comfort. She says “transformation-by-numbers” via the BEE policy’s main instrument, the Codes of Good Practice, cannot possibly capture the nuances of societal change or the unpredictability of the global economy in which South Africa must operate.
And she has looked at real examples to illustrate how the policy has failed SA all over the country from rural-based communities that live amidst mining operations, to the far-flung Richtersveld land claim settlement with government and the fisher folk of Kalk Bay whose boats barely leave the harbour which she will share with us and take questions.
| Date | Wednesday, June 02, 2010 |
| Time | 12:30 for 13:00 |
| Venue | The Wild Fig, Observatory |
| Cost | R120 Members R160 Guests |
| R.S.V.P. | Gloria at 021 683 3990 or headoff@mweb.co.za |
| Payments | Payment can be made on the day at the venue by cash or cheque (not credit card) or prior to the function by electronic transfer. Please do not deposit cash into the account as bank charges are too high on cash deposits. Info for online deposits: FNB, Cape Town,Br Code 201409, Account 50260072365 |
Thanks to our sponsors BP SA Pty Ltd, Distell, DBSA, Bass Gordon, CEF and BATSA.