No for coloured party

2008-07-21 10:46

Philda Essop

Cape Town - A proposal by Dr Richard van der Ross that the Bruin Belange Inisiatief (BBI) (Coloured Interest Initiative) achieves bigger political clout by becoming a political party, was scrapped over the weekend.

Instead, it was decided that the organisation, the first of its kind in South Africa which aims at promoting coloured interests, will take on the role of a watchdog organisation. It will also attempt to make a significant impact on the policies affecting coloured people.

In an attempt to promote coloured entrepreneurs it was decided to create an investment fund and possibly also establish an investment bank.

The organisation will establish structures in towns, which will become involved on district and municipal levels. The structures will address socio-economic issues like education, drug abuse, unemployment, housing and crime.

The body was launched this weekend at the Goudini Spa near Rawsonville.

400 at launch

About 400 coloured men and women - including politicians, actors, businesspeople, government officials as well as community leaders - attended the event.

Ivor Opperman, a teacher from Brackenfell, was elected chairperson. Bosch Willemse was elected the deputy chairperson and Basil Kivedo, Anthony le Fleur and Gilbert Schroëder will make up the secretariat.

Politicians seen at the meeting included Sakkie Jenner, provincial ID leader, two DA members from the Western Cape legislature, Lennit Max and Patty Duncan, as well as Helen Lamoela, DA member in the National Council of Provinces.

Former University of the Western Cape rector Van der Ross, 86, welcomed the initiative but said unless it became a political party, he could not see it exerting any political pressure.

"Coloured people make up the majority in two provinces. In the Western Cape, coloured people are 55% of the population and in the Northern Cape, 52%.

"We have to do something with our 55%," he said to loud applause.

- Die Burger