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THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 23 2012 09:47 | LAST UPDATED Feb 23 2012 09:47 |
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It is becoming increasingly clear that some in the African National Congress want to ensconce affirmative action as a permanent measure and thus enforce a new form of apartheid, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) said on Tuesday. The party intends asking the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to pay urgent attention to its complaint about affirmative action, handed to the ILO's Pretoria office on Youth Day last year, FF+ spokesperson Willie Spies said. The complaint specifically deals with the fact that affirmative action in South Africa is increasingly being given a permanent nature, and that the position is being worsened through often-repeated populist statements in this regard by Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana. "Mdladlana has this past weekend once again made the news when he said affirmative action will never be phased out in South Africa, but to the contrary will be sharpened." Spies said that going by Mdladlana's past statements, it is clear he not only condones black-against-white prejudice, but even encourages it. "The ILO should take note of Mdladlana's reckless actions in this regard." In terms of Convention 111 of the ILO, discrimination in the name of affirmative action is only justifiable if it is enforced as a temporary measure. "It is, however, increasingly becoming clear that a school of thought in the ruling party wants to ensconce affirmative action as a permanent measure and through this enforce a new form of apartheid. "The FF+ will continue its campaign to at least get young South Africans exempted from affirmative action," Spies said. Support However, the Black Management Forum said on Tuesday that South Africa is far from reflecting the country's demographics in the workplace and thus the forum supports the retention of affirmative-action policies.  CONTINUES BELOW Forum chief executive Mncane Mthunzi said in a statement that the organisation "fully endorses" Mdladlana's position on affirmative action. "The impoverished, under-educated and under-utilised black majority, both men and women, needs to be provided with the same boots and straps as those provided to whites before they can be expected to 'pull themselves up by their bootstraps'," he said. On Saturday, Mdladlana said South Africa's affirmative-action policies will not be stopped. -- Sapa TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
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