The question by the ANC youth league as to why no whites were killed during the Marikana fiasco, brings employment equity to the table yet again.
There is no doubt that some sort of balancing act is required to adjust imbalances created by apartheid. Again, like land reform, this issue needs to be dealt with constructively and sensibly. It should not merely be used as an ideological tool for opposing political factions to play with.
In the lower ranks of employment it is clear that black people get a lot more than their fair share of employment. (My research to prove this point is what I see with my own eyes on a daily basis) I see this everywhere. The local municipality only employs the odd white person with engineering skills, accounting skills etc - all the other positions are filled by black employees. All the supermarket chains employ black cashiers, tillpackers, cleaners, not a white face is seen anymore. Most now have black managers in most departments, and store managers are very often also black. The SAPS, the traffic dept - everywhere you look, very few white faces left to be seen. There are very few jobs left for white people.
Now I wonder, percentage wise, how much of the economy actually is in white hands - besides the few mega wealthy. (And there is currently no shortage of mega wealthy black people) Surely most of the economy is already in black hands, just by its sheer numbers, and sheer dominance in terms of employment. (Even myself, I employ 7 black people and 1 white person)
If "equity" is to be achieved, surely more white people need to be employed in the lower ranked jobs. There is a big push to get more black managers, etc, surely the same effort should made to bring white people into the cleaner jobs, the labourer jobs, etc. I see this happening in private enterprise, white people doing work I never used to see them doing in the past. If things are going to be fair, they must be fair to everybody.
So Lamola, the reason only black people were shot is that only black people have all the mining jobs (Ok, almost, anyway) and only black people were striking and only black people charged the police. (But you knew that, you're just up to your usual tricks stirring the racial cauldron for your own little power games)
It seems equality has a different meaning in this country of ours. Now to the white people who have a tantrum every time they hear BEE, AA etc. Accept reality, there are consequences for past injustices. Use BEE and AA as a way to strengthen us, when you have to compete in an unfair environment, only the strong survive - and I still see a lot of white people achieving much more than survival despite current circumstances. We were protected in the past, even the useless and lazy were given cushy jobs by the state. This behaviour weakens a nation, its good we don't get these "benefits" of sheltered employment anymore. Look how many white people that used to be employees and now employers and entrepreneurs.
To black people, don't allow preferential treatment to make you a weak and lazy nation. Don't allow AA, BEE to become reasons to tolerate mediocracy. Demand that people get rewarded on merit and not just skin colour, because a lot of good black people are suffering due to this attitude, the best are left unemployed while the useless, selfish and connected get the jobs.
And to those that need to implement AA, BEE by law, do it properly. Make sure you give the correct candidate the job and not just appoint a person to get the numbers right. That person will fail - not due to skin colour, but due to the fact that you gave him a job he was not qualified to do. (I have witnessed this first hand) And then all the white empoyees whisper in the background how useless the AA people are, meanwhile the mistake was a management mistake. And the okes who benefit from the AA posts - pull finger, prove your detractors wrong. Be strong, but don't be a victim - people need to earn respect, not demand it.
But with mindless utterances coming from the likes of Lamola, I wonder if its worth even trying a sensible route for our country, with such destructive people in powerful political positions. Ah well, I tried.
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