ANC and black professionals kiss and make up
The ANC and bodies representing black professionals have effectively kissed and made up, seeking to work hand in hand on policies relating to the growth of black-owned businesses.
The parties met on Monday after following public exchanges in which the ANC's position regarding black professionals was questioned.
Earlier this week, the ANC apologised to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordan and NEC member Senzo Mchunu.
It was alleged that Gordhan and Mchunu blamed "black professionals" for the dire situation that power utility Eskom was in.
Gordhan demanded an apology and addressed a letter to ANC secretary general Ace Magashule in which he said he rejected the assertions and found them "extremely offensive".
"I want to state emphatically that I have not made any statements diminishing the status of black engineers," Gordhan's letter read.
At a joint briefing with the black professionals, ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula said the party affirmed its commitment to black excellence and undertook to" implement deliberate interventions that seek to build the black strata through its policies".
However, he added that it should be noted that there were black professionals who mismanaged in their respective fields.
"Where black managers have mismanaged, they must understand that they have undermined fundamentally black excellence," Mbalula said.
Meta Maponya-Mhlari of the Black Energy Professionals Association, said the association was "happy and excited with the ANC's way forward".
"We are happy that the ANC acknowledges that the statements which were made were not correct," she said.
President of the National Society of Black Engineers, Mdu Mlaba, said the society would like Gordhan and Mchunu to speak for themselves and to mention if they were "quoted out of context".
"We were pleased with the statement which was initially sent condemning the pair's remarks, but we were left confused when the party further released a statement in apology".
However, Mlaba said the organisation understood the ANC's position as a party.
