Government is doing little to remedy the severe skills shortage problem among black South Africans, says Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon.
In his weekly newsletter, published on the DA’s website, he said the problem was a lack of skilled black professionals — doctors, engineers, lawyers, and scientists.
On what could be done to ensure black people make more rapid progress in the economy, Leon said government needed to invest heavily in opportunity, training and education.
”It must spend money on improving schools, particularly in disadvantaged areas. It must provide Opportunity Vouchers to young people, that they can use in pursuing higher education and starting new businesses.”
Leon said recently released Census 2001 figures showed black employees had failed since 1996 to increase their overall share of the top jobs.
However, government was refusing to do what was necessary, and instead of providing equal opportunities, it was ”forcing the private sector to achieve equal outcomes”.
”The skills that South Africa needs cannot be handed out or re-distributed from rich to poor. They have to be learned, and earned,” he said.
Government’s transformation policies, which ”put race ahead of ability”, were forcing South Africans to choose between either equality or excellence.
The state was also not doing enough to promote skills training.
”Its hugely bureaucratic sector education training authorities (Setas) have failed to spend R2,8-billion, nearly 50% of the monies earmarked for skills development.
”Instead of encouraging excellence in education, the government is punishing it by trying to prevent school governing bodies from rewarding their teachers.
”So when we question why black people aren’t claiming a greater share of the top jobs, the answer is not that affirmative action and employment equity policies aren’t being implemented.
”The truth is that these policies are in fact being implemented, but that they are designed to fail because they do not properly address the core of the problem: the lack of opportunities and the shortage of skills,” Leon said. – Sapa