'Black business, stop fighting,' says Nafcoc chair Nceba Faku

The economy in Nelson Mandela Bay will never be transformed if black businesses do not stop fighting among each other.

Also, to be taken seriously, business people must be able to discuss policy with leaders in government and influence decisions instead of resorting to protests to get what they want.

These were the words of Bay National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) chair Nceba Faku, speaking at the memorial service of Nafcoc regional secretary Mandla Msizi.

Msizi died last week after a short illness.

Dozens of friends, family and business people gathered at the Feather Market Hall to remember Msizi, but the prevailing message from the line-up of speakers was the need for black business to organise itself.

Faku said they were too dependent on “toyi-toying” to solve their problems.

“The challenge we have as black businesses is that we are impatient, being impatient is understandable but we can’t be so impatient that we forget the bigger picture,” Faku said.

Faku said black business in the Bay had the potential to show the rest of the country what things could be like if done properly.

“Black business needs to find the time and consolidate. You can toyi-toyi as an interim measure, but you can’t depend on staging a toyi-toyi each time you want something.

“You must depend on your ability to engage on policy with government; you can’t be afraid to speak to people who have influence,” Faku said.

“For as long as we want to bring each other down, we will not succeed,” he said.

Faku said he was worried that there would not be anyone to take over from Msizi and pursue the mission of highlighting the plight of black business while simultaneously growing membership.

Speaker after speaker described Msizi as a dedicated businessman and an activist who hated to see people miss opportunities.

Businessman Mandla Madwara said a recent highlight for Msizi was mobilising and organising a meeting between black Bay business and President Cyril Ramaphosa leading up to the May 8 elections.

“Msizi was at the forefront of organising that and he, along with Faku, [knocked] on all the necessary doors and made sure that the meeting happens.”

Madwara said the person to replace Msizi would be debated internally.

He also called for stability in Nafcoc leadership. “Black institutions keep attacking each other. In the name of Msizi, can we please have solidarity and can we please have stability in the leadership.

“There is a vacuum here and if it is not filled, it will be occupied by something else,” Madwara said.

Friend and former business partner of Msizi, Mkhululi Gade, said referring to Msizi as a politician would be an understatement. “He was an activist because he was driven by his conscience. He was able to see ideas through even when he there was no one to help him,” Gade said.

Programme director and businesswoman Phumla Mkuhlu said business people in Nelson Mandela Bay were operating in a dangerous space.

“Entrepreneurs are working in a very hostile environment.

“The only other person who could talk nonsense back to Lithemba Singaphi was Mandla [Msizi].

“They would exchange words and I would cringe, but that is just how they interacted,” Mkhuhlu said.

Msizi’s funeral will be held on Saturday 6 July  at the Nangoza Jebe Hall at 9am.