Thuli Madonsela challenges Ilembe business community

The fate of the country rests in the hands of ordinary business people, not in the government.

Addressing more than 200 of the district’s top businessmen and women at the Ilembe Chamber Gala dinner, sponsored by Nedbank, at Fairmont Zimbali Lodge & Resort Hotel last week, former Public Protector Prof Thuli Madonsela spared no punches.

She urged the guests to scrutinize their own personal “box of privileges”.

“If you run a business, you are privileged. Use that privilege to extend the boundaries of freedom for those with less. This is the measure of a good democracy.”

The soft spoken advocate had every ear in the room as she cautioned that the fate of the country rested in the hands of ordinary business people.

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“We remain on the pedestal of hope, but our democracy is at stake. The country’s fate cannot be left up to government, every South African must take responsibility for their part.”

The audience were aghast as she shared stories of corruption and human rights abuses, from toilets built for the poor with sewage systems containing pipes that led nowhere to women who were unable to rouse the police purely because they were considered foreigners.

“Do not be part of the problem,” she urged.

“Join us in mobolising society. Just like Eisenhower rallied civil society in America, we need everyone.”

Business, she stressed, has a crucial role in securing the development of an inclusive South Africa in which our democracy is protected. Chamber President Xolani Gumede appealed to business to support the chamber in their efforts to bring about social change for the benefit of all. He cautioned that if it continued to be “business as usual”, it would be at their peril.

“As business we must intentionally disrupt this false equilibrium,” he said, making it clear that establishing an inclusive economy would need to become a primary goal of the business sector.

Chamber CEO Cobus Oelofse said it had been an honour to host Madonsela.

“In her new role as a chair in social justice at Stellenbosch University’s faculty of law she contributes significantly to the discourse of business’ role in a reconciled South Africa, the theme we requested her to talk about last Thursday.

Her role at USB is aimed at accelerating the pace of achieving the constitutional promise of an inclusive society based in social justice, shared prosperity, friendship and peace.

“I had so many phone calls after Thursday evening from people wanting to do exactly that.”

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