Black group wants to be embraced by Wine Industry
Thursday, 18 April, 2002
Pippa Pringle
BAWSI provide a voice on key issues affecting blacks working throughout the industry
The mood had switched from one of combat to a willingness to engage for a mutually positive outcome among those seeking to advance the role and participation of blacks in the wine industry. So said Nosey Pieterse, president of the Black Association of the Wine & Spirits Industry (BAWSI).
Pieterse was speaking in the April 16th international seminar, SA Wine Industry: Looking Ahead, sponsored by Distell. The seminar formed the opening event of Cape Wine 2002, the three-day exhibition at Nederburg hosted by Wines of South Africa (WOSA) for the international wine industry.
Founded in 2000, BAWSI was created as an umbrella body to represent people of colour in the wine industry. Its purpose, said Pieterse, was to provide a voice on key issues affecting blacks working throughout the industry.
‘We realise that in order to advance we have to leave our trenches. I'm not talking about compromise, but about working with existing realities and people currently in control where we seek common accord. We want to embrace and at the same time, be embraced by role players across the industry.’
He said BAWSI was engaging Government, corporations, labour, management, landowners, NGOs, agricultural bodies, academics and many others to streamline and accelerate transformation and empowerment.
‘BAWSI formulates strategic policy to make the industry representative of South African society, focusing on employment equity but also very much on participation in every level and in every facet of the wine industry. We look at a range of issues from constitutional rights and conditions of employment to land ownership, skills and training and ways to acquire a share in the control and assets of the wine industry.’
Pieterse stressed that development through education and training formed the bedrock of meaningful empowerment and thus transformation. ‘In BAWSI's view, skills transfer, education, training and accreditation for experience gained will be the most critical means for ensuring sustainable participation in the wine industry.’
BAWSI was also assisting blacks to become decision-makers and to participate in shaping the wine industry, which remained a white domain. ‘If we are to be truly empowered, we must become part of control structures and acquire a share in the assets of the industry.’
He said BAWSI intended to implement integrated and strategic programmes to advance the role of blacks to become shareholders in corporations and other winemaking ventures. The organization was looking at various land ownership models from corporate level to new farming ventures and would focus on the inclusion of black women. Other avenues being pursued included economic empowerment through preferential procurement policies and joint ventures.
He added that BAWSI was also seeking ways to promote participative management to improve productivity, reduce conflict and industrial action and restore the dignity of workers and to promote the improvement of the quality of life of farm workers and their communities.
Issued by: De Kock & Kerkhoff Communication Consultants
For: Distell Wines
Queries: Nosey Pieterse, BAWSI President
Tel: +27 (0) 21 807-3320,
De Kock & Kerkhoff Communication Consultants
Contact: Pippa Pringle
Tel: +27 (0) 21 424-5280
Email: pippa@dkk.co.za