Johannesburg - The time for spin-doctoring about the land issue is beyond long past. It is time for some hard truths.
This is the view of Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, who was the guest speaker at the 40th anniversary gala dinner of the Black Management Forum (BMF) at Emperors Palace on Friday night.
It could not be correct that 13 percent of the population owned 87 percent of the land, and vice versa, said Chief Justice Mogoeng, who has written a seminal judgment on the matter.
Land was a thorny issue, he said: “It is also an emotive issue, a serious one. Let us all - black and white - hold hands to find a lasting solution to the problem.”
The chief justice pulled no punches in his keynote address at the colourful event, which drew a wide variety of dignitaries - and awarded them - such as Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, outgoing Exxaro mining magnate Sipho Nkosi and former University of KwaZulu-Natal vice-chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba, who was accompanied by his partner, advocate Nakedi Ribane.
Chief Justice Mogoeng, who is also a pastor in his church, said: “For 40 years Moses and the Israelites were in the desert en route to the Promised Land. So let the BMF take South Africans through their River Jordan.”
He had it on good authority that the BMF was a champion of transformation, a fact trumpeted earlier by its president, Mncane Mthunzi.
The BMF had as its core business the task of eradicating all the pitfalls that were in the way of black economic advancement.
“When you celebrate 40 years, as the BMF is doing now, you tend to look less at your past gains and to focus more on the work ahead. This is how I inspire myself. And that is what I believe every single South African should do.”
It was not enough that people had sacrificed their lives so his ilk should acquire education, high positions and high salaries.
What mattered was how those who benefited from the sacrifices of people like Chris Hani were doing for the advancement of the country and humanity.
He reminded the BMF, the so-called bastion of ethical leadership, of its duty to society.
It was the duty not only of the government, but of corporate citizens like the BMF to remind the electorate that “where we come from is rather a painful past to go back to”.
“The laziest thing you can do is be a fault-finder,” Chief Justice Mogoeng warned.
Land was such a life-and-death issue it inspired such war cries as “Mabayeke umhlaba wethu (Let them leave our land)”.
He spoke at length about what was needed to make the black South African as significant a role-player in the country’s economy and global economy as Bill Gates.
“He is respected because he’s a rich man.
“When are you actually going to own (those) at businesses,” Chief Justice Mogoeng asked of those in the boardrooms of white conglomerates.
Like Standard Bank co-chief executive Sim Tshabalala, who spoke before him, he touched on the miracle economic rises of Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.
“All Singapore had was its people,” he said.
“(It) sought advice from the best economic brains around the world to chart a way forward.”
Singapore had nothing but hard work and an aversion to corruption.
Twenty-four years later, South Africa was no match for Singapore, which in the beginning had virtually similar building blocks. Once under Japanese repressive rule, “Singapore knows what it feels like to be oppressed”.
“But today, there is just no comparison between South Africa, and Singapore and South Korea.”
Each point was received with uproarious applause, eclipsed only when Madonsela went up to the podium to receive her award and make her acceptance speech.
Chief Justice Mogoeng said black entities that served as fronts were nothing but traitors.
Sunday Independent