BEE must be part of the racial debate: Solidarity
By Staff WriterJanuary 12, 2016
Trade union Solidarity says that the ANC must acknowledge its own contribution to the racial tension in South Africa.
“Only then can a meaningful debate take place in South Africa about race,” it said.
The trade union said that the ANC’s pursuit of a non-racial South Africa President Jacob Zuma recently referred to, can only be realised if the party does away with its obsession with race-based legislation.
According to Solidarity deputy head Johan Kruger, the ANC’s policies on black economic empowerment (BEE) and affirmative action must form part of the debate if the ANC is in any way serious about creating a non-racial South Africa.
These form part of hundreds of laws introduced by the ruling party in 1994, that cement racial classification and racial quotas in nearly every sector of society, Solidarity said.
“We believe that the way in which affirmative action has been applied in South Africa for a long time is not in line with its original purpose. We are convinced that if government is really committed to stamp out racism, it would not hesitate to do away with policies that are based on race. Moreover, we would like to discuss alternatives to affirmative action with the ANC as part of such a debate,” Kruger said.
Kruger added that the ANC’s policy of race quotas cannot be defined as affirmative action but rather as a form of neo-racism.“
Worldwide, affirmative action is subject to a sunset clause. By applying affirmative action in terms of the national race demography – which changes constantly – the ANC ensures that affirmative action would never come to an end in South Africa. This is in itself discriminatory and also forms part of the complaint we brought before the United Nations about the South African government’s implementation of affirmative action,” Kruger said.
Kruger said that the ANC maintains double standards by committing itself to the elimination of discrimination, yet at the same time it enforces race legislation.
“What the ANC declares in public about race and racism is not consistent with what it applies in practice. In reality, this contributes to the problem of racial division in South Africa,” Solidarity said.
Trade union Solidarity says that the ANC must acknowledge its own contribution to the racial tension in South Africa.
“Only then can a meaningful debate take place in South Africa about race,” it said.
The trade union said that the ANC’s pursuit of a non-racial South Africa President Jacob Zuma recently referred to, can only be realised if the party does away with its obsession with race-based legislation.
According to Solidarity deputy head Johan Kruger, the ANC’s policies on black economic empowerment (BEE) and affirmative action must form part of the debate if the ANC is in any way serious about creating a non-racial South Africa.
These form part of hundreds of laws introduced by the ruling party in 1994, that cement racial classification and racial quotas in nearly every sector of society, Solidarity said.
“We believe that the way in which affirmative action has been applied in South Africa for a long time is not in line with its original purpose. We are convinced that if government is really committed to stamp out racism, it would not hesitate to do away with policies that are based on race. Moreover, we would like to discuss alternatives to affirmative action with the ANC as part of such a debate,” Kruger said.
Kruger added that the ANC’s policy of race quotas cannot be defined as affirmative action but rather as a form of neo-racism.“
Worldwide, affirmative action is subject to a sunset clause. By applying affirmative action in terms of the national race demography – which changes constantly – the ANC ensures that affirmative action would never come to an end in South Africa. This is in itself discriminatory and also forms part of the complaint we brought before the United Nations about the South African government’s implementation of affirmative action,” Kruger said.
Kruger said that the ANC maintains double standards by committing itself to the elimination of discrimination, yet at the same time it enforces race legislation.
“What the ANC declares in public about race and racism is not consistent with what it applies in practice. In reality, this contributes to the problem of racial division in South Africa,” Solidarity said.
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