Dlamini-Zuma pushes radical economic transformation

Presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says business advisory groups should be set up to enable consultation on radical economic transformation and policy shifts after the ANC's elective conference in December.

Dlamini-Zuma told the Gibs Forum on Tuesday that no patriotic South African would be comfortable with the current status quo - of poverty‚ unemployment and glaring inequality - and should work with the government to turn things around.

It could no longer be "business as usual"‚ she said.

The relationship between government and business is strained after a series of actions by President Jacob Zuma and his administration‚ which has dented business confidence.

Dlamini-Zuma said the "trust deficit" had to be addressed.

On Tuesday‚ she punted an approach in which government‚ opposition parties and business set about transforming the economy through consultation and discussion.

"Policy change should not be in and of itself ... it should address the challenges that we are facing‚" she said.

She warned that the stability of the country was at risk if the economy did not become more inclusive.

"If you look at research on violent crime‚ it is not common in areas where there is general poverty‚ but it is common where there is opulence on one side and poverty on the other ... all patriots would want to deal with that‚" she said.

Dlamini-Zuma cited her previous experience in government‚ saying she had consulted on all major decisions taken during her tenure.

"I never did anything without sitting down and explaining my objectives‚" she said‚ using the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries as examples.

When asked about potential coalitions after the 2019 elections due to a decline in ANC support‚ Dlamini-Zuma said she did not like "planning for loss".

But she said all parties should first agree on the challenges facing the country and come up with ideas to fix them‚ irrespective of which side of the political divide they came from.

Asked about her legacy should she become president‚ Dlamini-Zuma said education and skills were at the top of her list‚ if she had to choose one thing.

"One key thing is education and skills ... if you skill your people‚ in the end‚ they figure out what they want to do‚" she said.

- BusinessLIVE