South Africa can be prosperous and filled with opportunities for all its citizens, but only if it adopts policies that ‘genuinely uplift the nation rather than furthering racial divisions or favouring a select few’, says the Institute of Race Relations (IRR).
This is among concerns the IRR wishes to raise in a meeting it is seeking with Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi.
The IRR says in a statement that it intends ‘highlighting the detrimental impact of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies on the nation’s unemployment rates in lieu of the latest data showing joblessness remaining at crisis levels’.
In his letter to Nxesi requesting a meeting, IRR campaign manager Mlondi Mdluli provides a detailed account of the unemployment trends over the past two decades, drawing a direct correlation between the implementation of BEE and the escalating unemployment crisis.
The IRR wants the minister to give ‘clarity on the government’s criteria for measuring the success or failure of BEE in relation to these unemployment figures’.
IRR head of strategic communications Hermann Pretorius says: ‘The recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) contains alarming unemployment statistics. Since BEE’s inception in 2003, unemployment rates, especially among black South Africans and the youth, have seen a concerning rise.
‘With the 2024 elections on the horizon, it’s imperative for South Africans to reflect on the past two decades of BEE. We must evaluate policies based on their outcomes, not just their intentions. The IRR has always championed pro-growth, non-racial economic policies, and we believe it’s time to address the socio-economic devastation caused by apartheid in a manner that benefits all South Africans.’
Pretorius concludes: ‘We have asked Minister Nxesi to respond by 30 August 2023, and we eagerly await his reply. We are committed to working collaboratively to address the unemployment crisis and ensure a brighter future for all South Africans.’