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Nedlac requires business applicants to have approval from Busa.
The National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) has upped its drive to take back the seat it previously held on the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).
The organisation had previously approached Nedlac with a view to applying for a seat on the council as far back as March but, according to sources close to the matter, Nafcoc has been having a series of meetings with Nedlac and on Wednesday had another one, during which it was meant to finally hand in its application.
Nedlac communication coordinator Tidimalo Chuene confirmed that Nafcoc had a meeting earlier this year with Nedlac executive director Madoda Vilakazi.
Chuene also confirmed that Black Business Council (BBC) CEO Kganki Matabane has also met with Vilakazi over the organisation’s application for a seat.
Nafcoc is a member of the BBC but has recently threatened to disassociate from it.
Both Nafcoc and the BBC have previously held seats at Nedlac, with the latter leaving the council last year after relations with Business Unity South Africa (Busa), with which it had a cooperation agreement, soured.
Since then black business has not had a representative at the council.
The Nedlac constitution requires applicants for a business seat to get approval from the only business representative currently there, Busa.
“Admission of Members: Unless otherwise agreed within each constituency, representation in the Council shall be determined as follows: for organised business, by Business Unity South Africa,” reads the constitution of Nedlac.
Vilakazi confirmed to City Press that he met again with Nafcoc on Wednesday and the discussions were about Nafcoc reclaiming their old seat which they held as a founding member of Nedlac in the mid 1990s. He said the organisation has, however, not applied yet.
The BBC had already applied for their own seat and Vilakazi said that application was still under consideration.
Asked if it was possible that each organisation could be accommodated alongside Busa, Vilakazi did not rule out the possibility, as labour already had three seats.
Cosatu, the Federation of Unions of South Africa and the National Council of Trade Unions are all represented at Nedlac.
However, the BBC, whose application City Press has seen, indicates that it has 57 paid-up organisational members, the biggest of which is the South African National Taxi Council with 701 765 members, followed by Nafcoc with 656 000 members.
Busa CEO Tanya Cohen said the organisation had met with the BBC about representation at Nedlac, but had not met with Nafcoc regarding the same matter.
She also said Busa would not object to the BBC’s application but Nedlac needed to determine the application in terms of the approved criteria.
“As far as we know, Nafcoc is a member of the BBC.
“We have had no engagements with Nafcoc about Nedlac membership.”
Cohen also pointed out that the presence of another business body would not diminish Busa’s influence at Nedlac.
“It is not unusual for a constituency to have more than one representative in Nedlac. Provided the rules of engagement are observed, we believe the voice of business, in or outside Nedlac, will not be diminished by the presence of other legitimately admitted business bodies,” she added.
Questions sent to BBC and Nafcoc were not responded to.
