The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury, which is run by the provincial leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Francois Rodgers, has issued a statement celebrating increasing its broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) rating from Level 6 to Level 3, in part through stricter adherence to race-based procurement rules.

Level 1 is the highest contributor status under the B-BBEE framework, while Level 8 is the lowest recognised level.

Rodgers, who runs the department while doubling as the DA leader in KwaZulu-Natal, said, “This improvement from Level 6 to Level 3 demonstrates our commitment to advancing meaningful economic transformation and creating opportunities for historically disadvantaged individuals and businesses.

The department said its improved score reflected stricter adherence to race-based procurement policy, among other things.

Rodgers said the provincial treasury would continue its commitment to BEE while seeking to link transformation initiatives with broader economic growth in KwaZulu-Natal.

The KwaZulu-Natal DA leader’s comments sit alongside his party’s efforts to repeal much of the country’s BEE policy and replace it with a race-free alternative.

The DA introduced the Economic Inclusion for All Bill in Parliament in March, which proposes removing race-based criteria from state procurement rules and replacing them with a race-neutral preference system based on outcomes such as job creation, skills development, support for small businesses, and investment in communities.

The Bill goes further, proposing the repeal of the BEE Act, winding down the BEE Commission, removing race-based set-asides, prequalification requirements, and subcontracting rules, and replacing them with an alternative procurement scorecard.

DA finance spokesperson Mark Burke has meanwhile led a charge in Parliament against proposed public procurement rgulations that would make race-based rules stricter, while the DA-led Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town have most recently successfully challenged the Public Procurement Act in court. Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court declared the Act unconstitutional and invalid because Parliament had failed to meet its constitutional obligations regarding public participation.

As one The Common Sense scribe quipped, “maybe the KZN DA did not get the memo that the party opposes race-based policy.”