Dear Editor
In light of the budget tussle and debates on transformation vs growth strategies, the following comes to mind.
Firstly, Starlink should reject any special treatment, even though it is cloaked under an IT sector dispensation. This is just BEE red tape in another form. Starlink should demand equal treatment for all local and foreign players in all sectors. Enough of this social engineering, which is ineffectual and costly to administer.
Secondly, business could easily ramp up employment, if only moderately. A huge hurdle to ease of hiring and firing is the current Basic Conditions of Employment (BCE) Act. Have the IRR or others ever proposed an alternative to the current BCE to allow business to easily, but fairly, adjust their workforce to fluctuating business demands?
Thirdly, the doubling down on BEE regulations to try to improve the outcomes of the transformation strategy simply ignores the sad fact that the destruction of the education system has meant too many South Africans leaving school are unemployable in anything but labour roles. The ANC refuses to acknowledge this.
And, finally, it would seem to me that a class action suit opportunity is hiding in the wings for owners of abandoned buildings, should the authorities attempt to use EWC to expropriate these buildings for nil compensation. The argument would be that the value is nil due to failure of the municipalities to deliver the services and infrastructure necessary for the buildings to remain useable. The Carlton Centre/Hotel is a notable case in point.
Russell Drake