Welcoming the IEC Results and Looking Forward to a New Political Era
The Office of the BMF Presidency
June 4, 2024
The Black Management Forum (BMF) welcomes the recent Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) results, affirming that the South African populace has made it known to political leaders how much power voting has, not only for themselves but for their families and their country.
For the past 30 years, the African National Congress (ANC) has been the major political force of this country. That sense of euphoria that was felt 30 years ago was felt on the 29th of May 2024, when South Africans endured the cold weather beyond the allocated time, to exercise their democratic right, casting votes to shape the nation’s leadership for the next coming 5 years. It is often said that in a democracy, the people shall govern, and indeed, the people have spoken, and it is the responsibility of the political parties to respect the wishes of the people.
The BMF would like to congratulate all the political parties on the outcomes of the elections and appeals to all of them in that going forward during the negotiations on the possible coalitions, that the country should always come first and that the agenda for empowerment and development in the interest of fighting severe inequality should be restored. This means transformation, inclusive economic growth, job creation, service delivery and security should be a priority in moving the country to a brighter future.
We remain hopeful that the incoming government will commit itself to advancing economic transformation and enhance the economic participation of black people in the country’s
economy by learning from the challenges and the gains from the BBBEE Act and affirmative action. As the custodians of the Act and affirmative action, we are urging the government not to abolish the Act and affirmative action but rather work with us in ensuring that these tools of transformation are implemented better to see our economy growing and creating the much-needed jobs. We reject widely the peddled idea of these transformative pieces of legislation as regressive and a barrier to economic growth. What they have always needed is intentional and ethical governance.
Considering these developments, the BMF is hosting an event on June 6, 2024, at Henley Business School in Cape Town. Titled “Leading Beyond the Ballot, Shaping South Africa’s Post-Election Future”. The Beyond the Ballot event will be a crucial platform for discussing the way forward in this new political landscape. The BMF looks forward to engaging with leaders and stakeholders to explore how we can collectively contribute to building a better future for all South Africans.
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