Tuna Hake Fishing Corporation - one of South Africa's top 300 companies and a recognized leader in promoting real empowerment - has unveiled a bold plan to advance black empowerment and skills development in the fishing industry.
A Memorandum of Understanding, announced at a function in Cape Town, commits Tuna Hake to giving the National SMME Fishing Forum access to the expertise and skills available at Tuna Hake, while Tuna Hake, in turn, becomes a participating member in the national programs and activities of the Fishing Forum.
The Fishing Forum is an association formed to promote small, medium and micro Enterprises in the fishing industry. Together the two bodies will help to set up a Cape Town Fisheries Development Centre at Cape Town harbour and a fishing factory school. The understanding springs from an initiative at Tuna Hake to provide assistance in the interest of ensuring capacity building and ultimately sustainability within the SMME fishing sector.
This strategic move springs from three important facts
- only through joint efforts can the SMME fishing industry become a serious force in volatile international markets
- many black empowerment entities are being hoodwinked into unviable business deals
- fishing rights are diminishing each year while market prices remain unstable
- serious attention must be given to improve the level of skill across the board within the sector
Tuna Hake is providing its skills and resources at no cost to the Fishing Forum.
Telkom, another partner in the drive to improve genuine black empowerment, is assisting with the setting up of a special Internet project to raise awareness of the activities and needs of the fishing industry SMMEs.
The Transport Education and Training Authority is also giving assistance in the form of education and training for the Small Boat Fishing Industry. "We see this historic understanding as a crucial arm of our strategy to drive genuine black economic empowerment forward," said Mr Bongani Nkanyuza, CEO of Tuna Hake. "In the past there has been disillusionment about the potential of the fishing industry to move away from the old greed and self-interest that prevented small black operators from succeeding in the bitter fight for fishing rights."
Antoinette Moniz, Marketing Director of Tuna Hake, said: "The reality of playing a pivotal role in addressing the imbalances of the past, and actively restructuring our society, has given me great satisfaction. I have a burning desire to use my potential to help the many people who are less fortunate than many of us."
Praise for the bold initiative also came from Victor Mulberg, CEO of TETA and Maxwell Moss, Chairman of the Portfolio Committee. "It is heartening to see Tuna Hake taking such positive and pro-active steps to give small fishing people a chance to make a success of their businesses," he said. "Their commitment to improving the lot of SMMEs sets a shining example to other companies to do likewise in other industries."