The Black Business Council (BBC) has accused the Minerals Council of being anti-transformation in calling for the removal of Transnet's group CEO.
The BBC "is advising [the] Minerals Council SA to desist from harassing the CEO of Transnet, who is effecting transformation in the rail sector", the organisation said in a statement.
The response follows media coverage of a confidential letter sent by the Minerals Council to Transnet's chairperson on 4 December to demand urgent action to arrest the "tragic decline" of the state-owned logistics company – including the removal of the group CEO, Portia Derby, and head of Transnet Freight Rail, Sizakele Mzimela.
The Council and Transnet have since collaborated to establish joint teams to address constraints on bulk commodity export channels.
The BBC has, however, highlighted Transnet's move to open up 25% of total available railing capacity allocation for emerging manganese miners, a significant step in transforming the mining sector.
"This is the actual matter that the Minerals Council is fighting [the] Transnet CEO for, as she is poised to change the game and allocate more capacity for other strategic minerals to emerging miners in the coming years, thereby breaking the market concentration produced by apartheid," the BBC said, noting it is therefore convinced "that the Minerals Council SA’s calls for Transnet CEO [and] rail chief to be axed is fuelled by Mineral Council’s anti-transformation stance."
Responding to News24's query about the letter, the council said on Wednesday it would not comment on the contents of a document clearly marked confidential.
"The Minerals Council is working in close collaboration and in a spirit of cooperation with the Transnet board and management to urgently resolve deep-seated problems and constraints in the rail and port logistics to the benefit of bulk commodity companies, Transnet and the fiscus," it told News24 this week.
"The Minerals Council and Transnet have established joint teams to address constraints on bulk commodity export channels. The Minerals Council and its members are committed to finding urgent, pragmatic and lasting solutions to the problems curtailing mineral exports."
Transnet also declined to comment on the letter.