The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) on Friday welcomed the possible phasing out of affirmative action.
Its labour spokesperson, Willie Spies, said his party was ”very glad” about an announcement on Thursday by Minister in the Presidency Kgalema Motlanthe.
”Although the party does not want to start celebrating too soon, the mere fact that such a senior member of the African National Congress [ANC] indicated that the debate is at least being started is a step in the right direction,” Spies said in a statement.
According to Business Report, Motlanthe told a meeting in Stellenbosch that the government would consider phasing out the programme.
However, he qualified this by adding that an end date could be considered only after careful scientific consideration.
This after trade union Solidarity said on Thursday it had been in talks with ANC president Jacob Zuma and Motlanthe to shift the ground on affirmative action.
Solidarity deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann told Business Report that the largely white union had been told by Zuma that its ideas on affirmative action were ”refreshing”.
The union is arguing that there should be a moratorium on affirmative appointments in scarce and critical positions, and that young people should be exempted. — Sapa