DA to push for amendments to Employment Equity Amendment Bill
In the light of recent commentary on the Employment Equity Amendment Bill, I would like to clarify the DA's position on this piece of legislation currently before Parliament.
The DA supports employment equity that redresses the legacy of apartheid and expands job opportunities for all. But this cannot be done at the cost of economic growth and job creation. Ultimately, a growing economy with increasing employment is the surest and most sustainable way to redress the legacy of apartheid.
This has always been the DA's position. It can be found as far back as the early 1960s when the South African Liberal Party noted in its policy handbook that: "...the state must not shrink from such measures of intervention as may be necessary to ensure the creation of non-racial economy with fair distribution and opportunity for all."
Furthermore, we do not view employment equity as a "bean-counting" quota-based numbers game. We support a qualitative approach to employment equity that prioritises skills development and empowerment of South Africans.
The DA voted in favour of the Employment Equity Amendment Bill in the National Assembly because we believe in the need to create an inclusive economy. This does not mean that we agree with all the clauses in the Bill.