Although new party on the block Congress of the People (Cope) is quick to say that African National Congress-inspired black economic empowerment (BEE) policy should be reviewed, party spokesperson Philip Dexter is less quick to say how exactly.
”BEE policy needs to be reviewed, it needs a radical overhaul. Once in government we can discuss how to transform this,” he told the Mail & Guardian this week.
According to Cope’s manifesto, the party ”recognises that the economy remains predominantly in white hands and that the key objectives of affirmative action with respect to broadening participation of historically excluded groups have not been fully achieved”.
”Within six months after the elections the party will announce a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy, which will activate the poor in every household to participate in programmes to extricate themselves from poverty,” the Cope manifesto states.
The party argues that the current empowerment system has been too narrowly applied and it proposes the focus be shifted.
”It is not up to us to dictate,” but rather we need to engage everyone on ”what are the things that can be done”, said Dexter.
Over the years government’s BEE policy has received its fair share of criticism. Often it’s blamed for promoting cronyism and serving the interests of the already empowered. Unlike Cope’s strategy, however, it does offer a pragmatic approach to giving opportunities to the previously disadvantaged.
David Monyae, an independent political analyst, told the M&G : It is important to continue with BEE, but to adjust it so it moves away from the chosen few to the broader empowerment of people.”
Monyae, who believes BEE is critical for the long-term stability of the country, admitted that although a complex matter, it required ”a national consensus”.
Sbongani Malumo, product-marketing manager at Microsoft, considers herself a ”black diamond”, or a member of the new black middle class.
Although there’s ongoing demand for more information on the so-called ”black diamond” group, the University of Cape Town (UCT) Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing last year claimed to have examined this segment of the population in some depth.
Professor John Simpson, director of the Unilver Institute, said: ”There has been a 15 % growth rate among the black South African middle class, however there is still scope to take a much closer look at ‘black diamond’ women.”
Malumo, earns more than R10 000 a month, drives a brand-new Peugeot, has no children and is well educated.
Although she is well aware that she has been afforded opportunities that generations before her weren’t, she said: ”I don’t know if I really benefit from BEE. We need to re-evaluate how to implement BEE and revisit its success.”
Molatelo Ramothwala is an account executive at Africa Moon Communications. She believes ”there is a growing number of black people who qualify for high positions” and agrees that they should be pushed up. She said: ”It is too soon to scrap BEE,” adding ”there are many executive positions that are still occupied by the minority.”