South African President Thabo Mbeki has rejected opposition notions that affirmative action has led to the promotion of only the interests of the black elite — but he has opened the door to debate about the matter.
Opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) justice spokesperson Sheila Camerer said while her party supported the notion of affirmative action as enshrined in the Constitution, the problem arose about how it was being implemented. She said even the president’s brother had indicated it was benefiting a small politically well-connected elite.
Mbeki said: “I would be very pleased if the Honourable member would give (me) information to substantiate what she said.” If that were the case “we need to correct it”.
Responding to an interjection from opposition leader Tony Leon that [Welfare Minister] Zola Skweyiya’s food parcels were only being handed out to those who had African National Congress (ANC) membership, he said: “If that is being done it must be stopped.”
Responding to National Action member of Parliament Cassie Aucamp who asked whether the government would consider fostering equality accords with minority groups — along the Malaysian model — as recommended by the Solidarity trade union, he said he was happy to look at the proposals “on how to take that matter forward”.
“We can’t have an intention to discriminate against other South Africans,” said the president.
He said whether this required an agreement between government and trade unions or business and trade unions “we need to look at … provision in the law which would make it possible for unions to enter into agreements with particular companies to which they refer”.
Mbeki was responding to Aucamp’s concerns that certain companies were discriminating against minority groups.
Solidarity is a largely white, largely Afrikaans-medium trade union which grew out of the mine workers’ community. – I-Net Bridge