Johannesburg - The fact that broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) might have only benefited a few is due to the nature of the SA economic system, said ANC president Jacob Zuma in Sandton on Tuesday.
"We should not forget the nature of the system; we cannot empower every citizen at one go," said Zuma at a briefing with black business.
He said South Africa was a capitalist system.
"We are dealing with business. There is a monopoly.
"Nevertheless, we need to say how do we do this that it achieves the outcome."
Zuma said when it came to BBBEE, if people asked "how could we make it more effective, well, I support that."
However Zuma said if people came to him and said, "'We think now it's enough,' I will have a problem.
"We can't say in 15 years we have resolved the problem of two centuries.
"We firmly believe in the continuation of the implementation of BBBEE policies, as long as they allow for the introduction of new players in the economy and also include the participation of women and youth."
Speaking at the same event, African National Congress Treasurer-General Mathews Phosa said the party "endorse[d] going forward with BEE and affirmative action.
Phosa said those that had benefited from BEE had to admit to it, in order to try and spread its reach.
"It is a fact that a few of us were empowered at the expense of the majority. If we don't admit it, we will never correct it," he said.
Open matter
He said skills development and BEE had to be implemented at the same time.
Phosa also said black business people should not just aspire to BEE.
"We must migrate from BEE to entrepreneurship. We have to move."
Phosa said these policies had to "bring the black people into the mainstream of the economy."
Phosa said the "white child" in South Africa, should also be given hope like the "black child".
Rather the aim of affirmative action policies was to "bring the black people into the mainstream of the economy," he said.
The briefing by Zuma and Phosa was attended by hundreds of businesspeople including National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Buhle Mthethwa, Business Unity SA CEO Jerry Vilakazi, Black Management Forum president Jimmy Manyi and suspended SABC CEO Dali Mpofu.
At the end of the briefing, Zuma was handed a copy of the book Capitalist Nigger by Chika Onyeani.
Thereafter, those who attended began to pledge financial donations to the ANC.
A total of R29 400 000 was raised, including a R50 000 pledge for Aids vaccine projects and a R1m donation specifically to the Kwazulu-Natal ANC.
Phosa said the ANC wanted funding to be an open matter.
"I don't want brown envelopes under the table. We want to be open about it," he said.
- Sapa