ANC CALLS FOR WORKPLACE TRANSFORMATION IN CAPE TOWN

The recent employment equity study in Cape Town pointing to under-representation of black professionals in city businesses, confirms what we have always maintained that lack of transformation can only serve to polarise race relations in that part of the country (see report).

In terms of the Sabie Surtee and Martin Hall study, Cape Town is seen to be hostile to Coloureds, Africans and Indians while white people are still being appointed and promoted at rates suggesting continued discrimination of black people.

As a matter of policy, the African National Congress (ANC) is committed to redressing decades of inequality at workplace created by apartheid.  Our mission continues to be the fundamental transformation of the South African economy in order to empower black people, eliminate poverty and the extreme inequalities generated by the apartheid system.

We firmly believe that only productive employment opportunities for our people, earning a living wage, can ensure a balanced South African economic development.

The ANC strongly condemns the practice of discrimination by Cape Town businesses, which has led to 65 percent of top and senior management appointments or promotions going to whites in 2008, but only 10 percent going to black people. This is - despite Cape Town being the home of black majority, particularly from the Coloured community.

We call on the Democratic Alliance, which constitutionally rules that part of the country at city and provincial level to avoid paying lip service when it comes to transformation at workplace. If it is indeed, led by true democrats, it should be in the forefront of a campaign to ensure that businesses implement employment equity and that Cape Town ceases to become a pariah city compared to the rest of the country.

Statement issued by Jackson Mthembu, African National Congress national spokesperson, October 29 2009

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