13 September 2024
Question
ê5. Mr H J Van den Berg (Northern Cape: FF Plus) to ask the President of the Republic:
With reference to young South Africans from minority groups with critical skills and qualifications seeking work outside the borders (details furnished), when will the State abolish employment policies that allegedly discriminate against minorities based on race?
CO248E
Honourable Members,
A fundamental principle on which our democracy is founded is that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, and united in our diversity.
In making this assertion, we recognise the injustices of our painful past that unfairly treated and discriminated against the majority of South Africans on the basis of the colour of their skin.
The Constitution therefore provides for the enactment of legislation and other measures to promote the right of everyone to dignity, the achievement of equality, and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.
The Constitution is clear that everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.
To give effect to the equality clause in the employment sphere, the Employment Equity Act was enacted.
The Employment Equity Act prohibits any unfair treatment or discrimination directly or indirectly against any person based on race, based on gender, disability or on any of the prohibited grounds listed in the Constitution. This also applies to job applicants.
Section 5 of the Employment Equity Act prescribes that all employers must take steps to promote equal opportunity in the workplace by eliminating unfair discrimination in any employment policy or practice.
Therefore, any employment legislation, policy or practice that unfairly discriminates against anyone based on their race, their gender or on any of the prohibited grounds is illegal.
The Employment Equity Act is one of several measures we have put in place to correct the grave historical injustice of economic exclusion.
The historical discrimination against black people and women in the workplace has produced an economy that does not provide equal opportunities for all.
Not only is this unjust. It is also limiting the potential of our people and our economy.
Although we have made progress since the advent of democracy, we still have some way to go.
According to the annual report of the Commission for Employment Equity for 2022-2023, white people account for 63 percent of top management positions in our country.
Yet they comprise only 8 percent of the economically active population.
By contrast, Africans account only for 17 percent of top management positions, even though they account for 80 percent of the economically active population.
The situation is better at the professionally qualified level.
Africans account for nearly half of all professionally qualified positions.
White people account for a third, and Indian and coloured people account for around 10 percent each.
These figures clearly show that while there are areas of progress, we have yet to reach a situation where all people have equal opportunities in the workplace regardless of race or gender.
All people, including from so-called minority groups, should be able to have equal access to employment opportunities and to equally contribute to the economic growth of our country without feeling excluded or feeling marginalised but to feel a part of South Africa.
I thank you.
Issued by Parliament, 13 September 2024
