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Govt blasts business leader

Johannesburg - Outgoing Business Leadership SA (BLSA) CEO Michael Spicer was criticising the state while forgetting about the private sector's own failings, the government said on Monday.

"It is also unfortunate that he unfairly lambasts government for alleged failings, while conveniently forgetting about the clear failings of business to transform itself," government communication and information system spokesperson Neo Momodu said in a statement.

He was responding to comments Spicer made in an interview with the Business Times on Sunday.

Spicer had been BLSA's head for seven years and had had "ample time to make a meaningful contribution" to the transformation of business.

"However, business in South Africa still remains largely fractured and divided along racial lines, with black business largely excluded and marginalised."

He said the fact that Spicer chose to speak out only at the end of his tenure, was "slightly disingenuous and smacks of opportunism".

Spicer said it was time for business to defend its corner more "robustly".

"It should tell government to do its own job. The schools aren't working, the hospitals aren't working, roads are going to hell. And we're paying an increasing amount of tax. Where is it going?" he said.

Momodu asked if the country could afford more of Spicer's "failing leadership" given his "clear disdain" for a democratically elected government and his failure to transform business.

Even though Spicer's term as CEO of BLSA was ending, he would remain vice-president at Business Unity SA (Busa).

Momodu said Spicer had made "sweeping generalisations" on government performance, which could not be left unchallenged.

"Government has worked hard at improving access and the quality of education and healthcare for all its citizens. Where government has failed, we have acknowledged as much and worked at finding sustainable long-term solutions."

Counter-productive

Spicer said the government was using the nationalisation debate to shift the blame for its own poor performance in the mining sector.

Momodu reiterated that the government had been clear from the start that nationalisation, which the ANC Youth League had been calling for, was not its policy.

He said the "unwarranted attacks" on the government were counter-productive and did not serve business or the country's people.

However, the government wished Spicer well in his future endeavours as he prepared to step down as BLSA CEO.

On Monday the Confederation of Black Business Organisations said it was "appalled by the irresponsible and divisive utterances" attributed to Spicer.

"Mr Spicer is inciting big business to fight government and displays disrespect and contempt for our democratically elected government when he says: 'There is no such thing as government now. There is a bunch of factions with different agendas'."
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