It has been 24 years since South Africa’s government introduced a breakthrough law to eliminate discrimination and promote diversity in the workplace to level the playing field after 46 harmful years of apartheid.
In the other corner, the act created tension among employers, who worried that too much affirmative action would leave few employment opportunities for white people. This cohort, it was feared, would see no future for themselves in corporate South Africa and end up leaving the country — contributing to the brain drain. This pushback against affirmative action and race-based policies persists today.
To address this worrying situation, Saltzman told Dis-Chem staff that the retailer would be pausing the recruitment of white people unless a special case was made to him and the head of human resources. On the surface, Dis-Chem looks like a transformed company that reflects the demographics of the country. Dis-Chem has more than 20,000 employees, of whom 84% are classified as previously/historically disadvantaged and 63% are femaleBut Dis-Chem doesn’t offer a breakdown or specific figures about its transformation profile for junior and middle management levels, where important decisions are made.
So, Saltzman has a valid reason to be concerned about Dis-Chem’s employment equity profile — concerns that are compounded by labour law changes that are on the horizon. The changes will impact Dis-Chem and thousands of other companies.
Problem is education
Systemic racism, nothing less. I'm waiting for the day I spot a white youngster at a till/packing. Oh wait I never will, because I'll never step foot in that place again.