Employment Equity Act: DA march appeals to those who believe inequality is acceptable

26 July 2023

The Democratic Alliance will once again show its true colours as a white elitest party.

John Steenhuisen, along with the DA leadership and supporters will march to Parliament in protest of what it calls ‘the ANC’s new Race Quotas’.

Steenhuisen embodies un-earned privilege and inequality in South Africa.

He is an unqualified white male, who earns in the top ten percent of South Africa’s salaries.

The Employment Equity Amendment Act seeks to entice businesses employing 50 people or more to set targets to address the persistent legacy of racial and disability bias in employment – especially in senior and top management roles.

And although the Act and regulations are not perfect, we need to start addressing these glaring inequalities in workspaces.

The latest reports by the Commission for Employment Equity and StatsSA paint a painful picture of exclusion from the economy nearly three decades after apartheid.

Despite only making up 8% of the country’s economically active population, 62.9% of top management positions in the country are occupied by white employees.

The rate of unemployment among white South Africans is 9.4% compared to 47.3% for blacks.

Affirmative action to right historical exclusions and mitigate irrational bias in the employment space is not unique to South Africa.

In other parts of the world, it is a tool used to address employment biases against minorities.

When we have made more progress addressing inequalities, and the shadows of apartheid finally recede, target setting will become unnecessary.

But for now, it is crucial to have policies that aim to address the structural inequalities embedded in our country through apartheid.

In a country experiencing an employment crisis, it is reckless for a political leader to make unfounded allegations that “600,000 currently employed South Africans stand to lose their jobs based on nothing more than the colour of their skin”.

All South Africans, including Steenhuisen, have responsibilities to build a country of fairness and justice for all.

Issued by Brett Herron, Secretary-General & Member of Parliament, GOOD,26 July 2023