The Leader of Government Business and KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr. Siboniso Duma has heaped praises on the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ) after scooping a B BBEE Award. The Awards Ceremony was held on the 4th of May 2023 at the  Southern Sun and Elangeni Hotel in Durban.

Located in a Special Economic Zone, RBIDZ is continuously becoming a vehicle for socio-economic transformation. Duma’s praises come after a nailbiting final that saw the entity  in the second position and walking away with the Most Improved B-BBEE Compliant Award.

“We remain seized with the agenda of ensuring that all entities under the department are at the forefront of facilitating access to different economic sectors. We have no doubt that this award will serve as an  encouragement to the staff, management and the board,” Duma remarked.

It was argued weeks ago by various economists that it was important for the department to ensure that emerging entrepreneurs benefit from the R3,4 Billion budget allocated for the 2023/24 financial year.

In addition, various role-players have emphasised that state entities must be evaluated and monitored whether they procured services and other products from small players in line with government’s transformation agenda. In this regard, the enforcement of B-BBEE Score card has been cited as critical.

KwaZulu-Natal is the first provincial government to conduct the B-BBEE Verification of Top 100 companies, Provincial Government Departments and Public Entities.

In the verification process for the 2021/22 financial year, RBIDZ marked improvement placing the entity as B-BBEE Level 3 contributor.

This performance flows from the KwaZulu–Natal B-BBEE Commission Conference held on the 4th of February 2020 at the Durban’s Olive Convention Centre. During this conference it was agreed that government departments and entities were required to use public procurement as an instrument to uplift the majority of our people especially women, youth and people with disability.

Welcoming the award, RBIDZ CEO Thabane Zulu also chanted praises on all categories of staff.

“We will continue to focus on training Co-operatives and SMMEs to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills to participate in all sectors of our economy.”

He further stated that the entity understood that B-BBEE placed the meaningful participation of the majority of citizens as necessary for the creation of capacity within the broader economic landscape.

He concluded: “The legislation aims to do this through a battery of interventions which include skills development, employment equity, socio-economic development, preferential procurement and the development of small and medium enterprises.

We are therefore excited that our performance has been recognised by the MEC, as the shareholder representing KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government.”