Trust is not simply a social value – it is the critical infrastructure that drives the economy, says Western Cape Property Development Forum chairperson Deon van Zyl.
Speaking at the Western Cape Infrastructure Ministerial Roundtable held in Cape Town last week, Van Zyl said no amount of legal drafting or auditing could compensate for the absence of trust.
“Compliance does not equate to trust. Where trust exists, remarkable things become possible.
“When we hear the words ‘strategic partnering’ or ‘partnership’, our minds tend to immediately jump to public-private partnerships, contract formats, memoranda of understanding or investment agreements.
“But I would suggest that this is not where partnerships begin. Partnerships begin with something much more fundamental – partnerships begin with trust.
