Q: How does business and civil society respond to the unrest?
A: Businesses exist to respond to the needs of people and equally are directed by people. We need to aid the project of rebuilding both infrastructure and the confidence in KZN. We are all concerned about the impact of the unrest on the attractiveness of living and doing business in our province. The role of business should be in partnering with civil society and dealing with both the immediate needs of the destitute and the long-term commitment of rebuilding.
Q: In this process, what must business leadership do to extend the partnership so more people on the fringes of society feel they have a stake in the enterprise we call KZN?
A: At times different segments of the community believe they can do it alone. As the business community we need to guard against this blindspot and truly integrate our efforts, and solve this as a collective leadership cohort encompassing all sectors and role players.
Q: How do we resuscitate the economy? What are our priority areas?
A: Assist as many businesses and consumers as possible to remain participants in the economy. We need to kick start the economy given the dire challenges of the pandemic.