TRADE and Industry Minister Rob Davies has published draft amendments to the existing broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) codes.Both progressive business and the nonprofit sector are seriously questioning several aspects of the amended codes — to the extent that the Department of Trade and Industry was last week moved to issue a press statement denying that the intention of the draft codes was to disadvantage "charitable organisations".Paradoxically, it is the changes to the socioeconomic development pillar — which currently carries the least points on the score card — that is drawing the most public criticism.In spite of the department’s recent demurral, the intended changes have the potential to both impoverish nonprofit organisations and damage South Africa’s burgeoning corporate social responsibility culture.At both practical and symbolic levels, this is cause for grave concern.The inevitable result of the precept that stipulates that only contributions "with the spec...
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