THE PROGRESSIVE WOMEN IN PROPERTY FORUM SLAMS MEC CARLISLE's COVER UP AND SAYS ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION IN THE WESTERN CAPE HAS REGRESSED

The Progressive Women in Property Forum notes with somewhat entertainment, MEC for Public Works, Robin Carlisle's statements that the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and the Democratic Alliance is committed to black economic empowerment and to economic transformation in general in his response to the chairperson of the ANC, Marius Fransman.

Progressive Women in Property Forum incoming president Vuyiswa Ndzakana-Mabutyana says "As a black female property practitioner and entrepreneur I have personally witnessed and experienced the regression in preferential procurement by the MEC Carlisle and Premier Zille. When Marius Fransman was MEC for Public Works he personally pushed for the participation of black women owned contractors with his 'Mammas Special'. As soon as MEC Carlisle and Premier Zille took over the administration, these and other preferential procurement initiatives were stopped." 

"The previous provincial government of the Western Cape has tried hard to recognize the need for women emancipation in the property sector by disposing certain properties in the inner city. Such properties, like 247 Roggebaai, a prime piece of land next to the Cape Town Convention Centre were taken over by established business and sold back to the Provincial Government."

The DA leadership even amongst themselves differ on whether the DA supports black economic empowerment or not with the different statements issued. The chairperson of the DA James Selfe stated that the DA will change black economic empowerment (BEE) to diverse economic empowerment (DEE) - should it govern the country - saying the DA does not support "racial targets and racial quotas when it comes to how the BEE system is designed."

The Forum calls for a session where black property developers, conveyances agents and property practitioners can engage with MEC Carlisle and his officials on the spend of the Provincial Department of Public Works.

Says Ndzakana-Mabutyana: "We want MEC Carlisle to mention by name and in detail the black contractors , conveyance agents, engineers and the like that his department uses. I want to meet them so they can teach us and show our members what to do to secure work from the provincial government as our members, with all their experience, have largely been unsuccessful and have been forced to search for work in other provinces."

The Forum is aware that the provincial government has been very creative in how it represents its procurement spend. The provincial government uses the term 'black empowered companies', which does not necessarily mean black owned companies, to represent its spend. A company which has little to no black ownership but which scores high on criteria like employment equity and sector development can for example be graded black empowered.

"We want the provincial Public Works to disclose its spend on black owned construction; professional services and building maintenance companies and leases signed with black owned properties as a rand value and percentage of total spend .We believe that MEC Carlisle and Premier Zille have taken economic transformation back in the Western Cape and call on them to disprove this statement," concludes Ndzakana-Mabutyana

Statement issued by Vuyiswa Ndzakana-Mabatyuna on behalf of Progressive Women in Property Forum, ANC Western Cape, October 17 2013

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