BEE-Let's get empowered:)

17^th April 2012 after a long day at campus, the SAWIP dialogue topic was about BEE. And I thought “oh no not again this topic, this man is again here to tell us why we should support BEE”. I thought I knew everything about BEE; my final undergraduate entrepreneurship module submission was on BEE.

Mr. Graeme Dorington within two hours quickly switched on some light bulbs and showed how the BEE 10 year goal is suppose to be working. The truth was brought to the table and my anger subsided, I finally understood that BEE is meant to benefit all people of colour; such a pity more people are not educated about the basics of BEE and the measurement score card. The way I viewed BEE for starters has changed so much, I wish what I now know I could track back to a year ago when I wrote my major entrepreneur essay based on BEE. I was tunnel visioned and miss-informed, washed away by media talks, but fortunately thanks to Mr. Dorington I am able to see the bigger picture of BEE. My desire is to see this BEE program in full operation in South Africa. I may not be going into the business world with immediate effect, but I will be entering the rewarding field of education soon. I now aim to use the knowledge I have gained from the BEE discussion and further research into incorporating it into my economic classes that will run for 7 weeks. I want to make my learners BEE wise and I want them to challenge their parents on this topic and educate their parents on the purpose, the truth and operation that BEE takes.

I think BEE is an amazing programme in South Africa that is truly beneficial to ALL South Africans. From equal job opportunities, skills development; empowerment, ownership; partnership BEE really seeks to improve ALL of these challenges South Africans are faced with daily.

It is time we mobilize the essence of BEE and we start looking at the positive of ever situation, instead of allowing the media to bombard us with their ideas and what they want us to believe. I feel our Finance Minister Praveen Gordan and his team needs to assist us strongly, enforcing the BEE program in every company; so that together we can grow and develop our country.