A practical alternative to BEE which stands to “stimulate growth and help empower the poor in meaningful ways” is available in the Economic Empowerment for the Disadvantaged (EED) proposal, says the Institute of Race Relations (IRR).
Details will be spelled out in a webinar next Tuesday by author of the proposal, Dr Anthea Jeffery, Head of Policy Research at the IRR.
The EED alternative is explained in the latest of the IRR’s Blueprint for Growth papers, Breaking the BEE Barrier to Growth, to be launched at next week’s webinar.
Written by Jeffery, the paper highlights the failures of BEE and presents EED as a solution.
In a statement, the IRR notes that in 2025 “criticisms of BEE reached an unprecedented intensity”.
“Many commentators here and abroad warned repeatedly that BEE helped only the black elite while harming the great majority.
“The Economist magazine echoed this view and called for BEE to be ‘scrapped’. The Wall Street Journal recalled the waste so often resulting from BEE in state tenders.
“The ANC and others jumped to BEE’s defence. As ever, they emphasised the good BEE is supposed to achieve, while ignoring the damage it does in practice.”
In contrast, EED “would stimulate growth and help empower the poor in meaningful ways”.
How EED would do this will be the gist of the discussion in Tuesday’s webinar between Jeffery and the IRR’s Hermann Pretorius.
To join the hour-long webinar from 10am, register at: https://streamyard.com/watch/2sB7aUK8fxjt
[Image: wal_172619 from Pixabay]]