Whomever it was that released the draft Mining Charter might have done South Africa a bigger favour than he anticipated. Too often in the past major issues of policy have been arrived at ? despite all the protestations that this is now an open, transparent, society ? by stealth, contrived by select cabals and presented as fait accompli. Because the issue is so massive, it needs to be aired thoroughly and publicly, which is what is now taking place. We all have cause to be thankful for this.
Some months ago I asked a colleague to conduct a straw poll among leading black businessmen to determine how it was they defined black empowerment. Is it ownership, meaning control or an ability to veto a wide range of alternatives?
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