ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe is renowned for his forthrightness when expressing sentiments on topical issues. And his address during a Black Business Council discussion revolving around the ANC’s manifesto in Johannesburg on 23 September was no exception.
Mantashe advised black entrepreneurs to emulate the way their white counterparts managed their businesses. He said he had observed that white businesses were objective driven, an attribute which arguably lacked in black business.
“Black business must come to that space of defining the objective, not the end,” he said.
He added: “I can tell you that shortcut of getting rich has destroyed many black businesses. We must not tolerate mediocrity in black business…. We want black business to think big. That is where the future of this country is.”
Moreover, Mantashe called on black businesses and professionals not to always rely on government for help, adding that they should put more effort.
He said: “Wealth is not distributed, it is generated. Black business must contribute. We must not have artificial millionaires and billionaires. Black business must build wealth.”