The BBBEE act (act 53 of 2003) mandated he minister of trade and industry to set up a body that would create a methodology of identifying BEE complaincy. It would also identify an objective measure of that compliancy. The task group has published various drafts of this methodology - called "The Codes of Good Practice". In July 2005 they published a fairly in-depth exlanation of how BBBEE would work and how it would be measured. In November and December 2005, the latest drafts were issued. They were in sufficient detail to give us a good indication of how the final Codes would look.

After the Codes were published, the minister requested comments and many organizations and people (over 200) gave their submissions to the dti, covering one or other contentious issue.  This was in March 2006. We are eagerly awaiting the next draft, which in all likelihood will become the final draft which will then be approved by cabinet and parliament and gazetted into law.

At the moment therefore the codes are in draft format, which leads to much confusion.