Johannesburg, 04 May 1998
The plan is to empower all those that are entitled to partici-pate. Development strategy must embrace a broad spectrum of employees. Arnold Sharp, Chairman First Technology Group Vuwani`s pioneering role in the Black empowerment of South Africa`s IT industry is being taken a step further with the introduction of several initiatives that are designed to broaden the skills base of its staff members. "We believe that the concept of Black empowerment should affect and develop all employees rather that just a single manager - as is the case in many empowerment companies," says Vuwani`s General Manager Anthony Perdikies. "In this way we hope to become empowerment leaders and not follow the practices of other companies which tend to focus on the empowerment or enrichment of a single individual, rather th an the entire company concerned. Creating a company that has majority Black ownership is easy, but does little towards empowering the people that most need empowerment," Perdikies adds. Vuwani is determined to do things differently. Backed by the First Technology Group, which owns 49 percent, the company`s aim in the new year is to develop and enhance the skills of its staff, who hold the remaining 51 percent of the shares. The transfer of skills will be achieved through training and mentoring so that the individuals concerned are able to make value-added decisions pertaining to the running of the business. What`s more, the training strategy will ensure that distinctive career paths for individuals are developed. Vuwani will also be making positions available to these employees as they complete specified levels of training. The emphasis of these positions will be on the benefit to the business, rather than simply to meet empowerment criteria. "Talk is easy, the challenge is to implement and meet our objectives," Perdikies says. "Vuwani is committed to follow the plan as closely, and determinedly as possible, without putting the company at financial risk. Vuwani exists, and indeed has thrived because it is founded on sound business principles, and it will continue as a successful company because of our commitment to a working and realistic model of an empowerment programme," Perdikies concluded.
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