Vital that business partners tell government the truth and not camouflage issues - BLSA

Busi Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), has clarified her comments that led to the headline 'SA risks becoming a failed state if business just sings 'kumbaya' with govt'.

She was speaking as part of a panel at the annual Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) summit in Johannesburg.

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Mavuso says the context was that at the time she was responding to a very specific question from Zinhle Tyikwe, CEO of the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA).

"She was really asking about the posture that we walk into as the business community when we have these meetings with the President every six to eight weeks."

"I was just belabouring the point that it is incumbent upon us as the business community to ensure that we use that platform as one for honesty."

Busi Mavuso, CEO - Business Leadership SA

Mavuso says this means identifying those things that are really not working, in the process of reporting progress at these partnership meetings.

"There needs to be a robust discussion that happens at that level, because if we're going to fail to do that we'll be doing not only the gpvernment constituents a disservice but also the President himself, who makes the time for this."

Busi Mavuso, CEO - Business Leadership SA

The business community can't be camouflaging issues and 'painting a rosy picture' Mavuso emphasizes.

She adds that it is business that also relays the needs of international investors to government, and this is important information for investment to flow in.

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The CGCSA's Zinhle Tyikwe identifies the challenges municipalities are facing with water management as the next priority to work on following the easing in loadshedding.

"Collaboration that we'd really like to see, is working closely with government on municipality challenges - a number of our members as retailers as well as manufacturers... all businesses are working at the coal face with the communities and municipalities."

"Big challenges currently that our members are facing AFTER loadshedding, is water quality and water security."

Zinhle Tyikwe, CEO - Consumer Goods Council of SA

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