Post by Xcon on Aug 22, 2004 15:32:47 GMT -5
AA in the USA is nothing in comparison with what we see in South Africa ...
At least some people there are standing up against it .... ,
Newspaper article:
Website lashes out at official equity policies
From The Mercury
August 20, 2004
By Philani Makhanya
Opposition to affirmative action and black economic empowerment has led to the creation of a website to monitor their "negative" effect on the economy.
News of the site, www.beewatch.co.za, has been well received in Gauteng, Pretoria and Durban. However, government officials and members of the business community in Durban were adamant that empowerment programmes were here to stay.
The Department of Labour is undertaking a national roadshow to encourage employers to comply with its ambitious equity targets.
The founders of the website, who are setting up an office in Durban, have lashed out at empowerment programmes, saying they had failed to empower poor people.
Website spokesman Conrad Beyers said uncontrolled black economic empowerment and affirmative action programmes had a negative impact on the economy.
"Affirmative action and black economic empowerment programmes are not attaining the objectives they set out to achieve. Instead, they are uplifting a small black elite and are implemented at the expense of the white population.
"It may also happen that certain sections of the population become economically marginalised.
"Thousands of workers experience career uncertainty due to affirmative action and many businesses experience undue pressure from black economic empowerment policies.
"Huge segments of the economically active population, especially the white male population, are hard hit by these policies. Thousands of people's careers and businesses are threatened," said Beyers.
He suggested that black economic empowerment should aim to achieve economic equality by lifting the Third-World segment of the economy to First-World standards and not the other way around.
Derek Naidoo, Deputy City Manager in the Procurement and Infrastructure Department, said that empowerment policies were part of the government's equity policies.
"In terms of the constitutional imperatives, the public and private sector have a responsibility to empower previously disadvantaged people, with special emphasis on women and the disabled.
"As a city we will continue to implement national and local government policies as far as affirmative action and black economic empowerment are concerned.
"It is also part of our responsibility to ensure the development of small businesses in the small, medium and micro-enterprise sector," he said.
At least some people there are standing up against it .... ,
Newspaper article:
Website lashes out at official equity policies
From The Mercury
August 20, 2004
By Philani Makhanya
Opposition to affirmative action and black economic empowerment has led to the creation of a website to monitor their "negative" effect on the economy.
News of the site, www.beewatch.co.za, has been well received in Gauteng, Pretoria and Durban. However, government officials and members of the business community in Durban were adamant that empowerment programmes were here to stay.
The Department of Labour is undertaking a national roadshow to encourage employers to comply with its ambitious equity targets.
The founders of the website, who are setting up an office in Durban, have lashed out at empowerment programmes, saying they had failed to empower poor people.
Website spokesman Conrad Beyers said uncontrolled black economic empowerment and affirmative action programmes had a negative impact on the economy.
"Affirmative action and black economic empowerment programmes are not attaining the objectives they set out to achieve. Instead, they are uplifting a small black elite and are implemented at the expense of the white population.
"It may also happen that certain sections of the population become economically marginalised.
"Thousands of workers experience career uncertainty due to affirmative action and many businesses experience undue pressure from black economic empowerment policies.
"Huge segments of the economically active population, especially the white male population, are hard hit by these policies. Thousands of people's careers and businesses are threatened," said Beyers.
He suggested that black economic empowerment should aim to achieve economic equality by lifting the Third-World segment of the economy to First-World standards and not the other way around.
Derek Naidoo, Deputy City Manager in the Procurement and Infrastructure Department, said that empowerment policies were part of the government's equity policies.
"In terms of the constitutional imperatives, the public and private sector have a responsibility to empower previously disadvantaged people, with special emphasis on women and the disabled.
"As a city we will continue to implement national and local government policies as far as affirmative action and black economic empowerment are concerned.
"It is also part of our responsibility to ensure the development of small businesses in the small, medium and micro-enterprise sector," he said.