Address to the Black Management Forum Corporate update and achiever awards dinner, Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, June 27 2008

Theme: Be the catalyst: Energising management and leadership for new challenges

The President of the Black Management Forum, Jimmy Manyi and entire leadership,
All senior business executives present,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening,

It is wonderful to attend an event that celebrates achievement and progress.

The theme of this gathering symbolises what our country should be about � celebrating the progress that we make, and looking into the future with optimism.

Despite the negativity that normally dominates our society due to the coverage in the media, as the ANC we see a bright future, because we are planning for it.

Since the ANC conference in Polokwane in 2007, we have been hard at work. The first phase focused on unity. We visited various provinces, preaching the message of unity and briefing our members about the decisions taken at conference.

From the level of senior leadership we believe we have achieved our goals. We work constructively and harmoniously together as the ANC deployed in government and those working at Head Office in Luthuli House.

The commitment to unity and progress is visible even at the highest level. You would have noticed the letter by the President of the Republic and that of the ANC.

We have both come out strongly against factionalism, and have emphasised that we do not lead camps within the ANC. We are building one ANC. There cannot be an ANC of Jacob Zuma or Thabo Mbeki, as we move towards the centenary of the organisation in 2012.

We have now moved to the second phase of our work, and are now focusing on organisational renewal. The Polokwane conference tasked the NEC to work on the preservation of the movement's character, culture and values in the run-up to the Centenary.

In short, the ANC lives and it leads. We are pleased with the progress we are making, as we move towards national elections next year.

We also believe we are still in touch with what our people want and need. They need a roof over their heads and decent education for their children. They want accessible and good quality health care in proper revitalised public healthcare facilities, with qualified health personnel. They want water in their houses, a flush toilet and a bathroom or shower, which some of us take for granted as we have these in our homes. Our people want electricity regardless of where they live, even in the most remote of rural areas.

They want decent roads, which take them to their homes. They do not have to walk long distances to catch a bus or taxi to work and school. They also want affordable public transport.

They want land to plough and build houses on, and they want assistance to buy tractors and other tools to help them make our rural areas thriving food-producing economies.

Our illiterate adults want to be able to read and write. With regards to electricity, I am reminded of a joint letter I received from two residents of Tsebe Village near Mabopane in Tshwane.

They want electricity in their RDP houses. Amongst other benefits, they say this would enable them to see Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsangirai on television!

They add that when they ask the local councillor for electricity he tells them that the village is still being developed and I quote from the letter: "The strange thing about this development is that it has been in place for more than five years and up until today it is still on and off."

We want development to be fast and visible. If we achieve that in the new administration, we would have managed to make a difference in the lives of our people. Five years is too long to try to develop one village without making any difference.

Policies to achieve most of our goals are in place. What we need to focus on is the implementation. Public servants should know that things would change. We intend to be hands on and ensure that our policies are implemented and change the lives of our people for the better.

And what is the role of BMF in all this? I am pleased that BMF values achievement and progress.

You have always done so, and have always provided role models and hope for a better future for our youth.

We followed the recent debate questioning the existence of exclusively black organisations. Our view is that for as long as the playing field is not levelled in the economic and other spheres, there will always be a need for the BMF and other transformative organisations. Change will not happen automatically, it needs catalysts.

We also see a role for BMF beyond the boardrooms. Black executives and professionals can make a meaningful contribution in various areas. For example, we want 80 000 adults to be literate this year, which requires volunteers.

We urge BMF members to get in touch with the education departments in their provinces and participate in this noble effort. Each one, teach one as Cosas used to say. A literate society is a priority for the strengthening of democracy.

You would be aware that the ANC resolved to prioritise education and health over the next five years. We want to grow the economy, and to do that we need highly skilled engineers, artisans, managers and other professions. There is a need to improve the country's entrepreneurial, business and financial skills, and to build our public and project management capacities.

To develop scarce skills, we have called for maths, science and IT to be promoted and supported in our schools, including through Saturday tutorial programmes.

We took a resolution in Polokwane, to revive the role of state owned enterprises in skills development. You would recall that in the past, our youth used to have access to training opportunities as artisans in state owned enterprises such as Transnet, Eskom or Telkom. These are all measures we hope will contribute to the development of our skills base.

I know that black professionals resent the term "training" or "skills development". There is a view that in most corporations, new black managers are put on perpetual training programmes. This has the inevitable effect of destroying self-confidence.

As a result, most black professionals argue that they do not stay long in many companies because they do not see it as worth their while to be treated as permanent trainees regardless of qualifications and experience.

Part of the transformational work of BMF, assisted by progressive formations such as the ANC, should be to deal with such issues. These are all remnants of the past, and emanate from insecurity amongst those who now have to share power and authority in the workplace.

Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot miss the opportunity for us to remind one another that healthy lifestyles are of paramount importance.

That means we should seriously consider getting rid of habits such as smoking and excessive drinking. We must also confront the challenge of infectious diseases, especially HIV and AIDS. The epidemic has become part of our lives, as we bury family members, friends and neighbours so regularly. Because of this, there is a danger that we may become complacent. We urge BMF to prioritise AIDS prevention in its messages to executives, professionals and the youth. Nobody is immune from the disease.

As said earlier, I am pleased to be part of an occasion that celebrates excellence. Let me congratulate the winners of the four awards this evening. We urge you to reach out to the youth, and inspire them to become achievers as well.

In a few days' time we will be celebrating excellence in the form of Madiba's 90th Birthday! It is another major celebration for our country, to mark the illustrious life of one of the greatest sons of this country, Africa and the world. Let us all celebrate on this important day.

Compatriots, we are unfortunately meeting during a difficult time for the SADC region due to the crisis in Zimbabwe. We reiterate that the situation is now out of control.

Nothing short of a negotiated political arrangement will get Zimbabwe out of the conflict it has been plunged into.

It is an extremely difficult and distressing situation for all, and we look to SADC to help find a speedy solution.

Thank you for inviting us to share this occasion with you. May BMF grow from strength to strength!

I thank you.

Speech issued by the African National Congress June 27 2008