Al Jama-ah comments on the Equity Employment Act

Al Jama-ah Party says it recognises the need for restorative measures in the labour force, but it is of the view that the proposed measures outlined in the Draft Employment Equity Regulations 2023, will most likely cause greater harm in certain regions.

Submitting its comments on the Employment Equity Act (EEA) yesterday, the Party’s leader and Member of Parliament Hon Ganief Hendricks says: “Al Jama- ah wants only two categories in the EEA ie. Black and White.”

Hendricks who has played an important role in helping to draft the EEA by giving input on behalf of several corporates and trade unions has called on the ANC and government to stop betraying so-called- coloureds and Indians. “During the struggle for liberation ‘coloureds’ and ‘Indians’ formed part of the oppressed. The ANC is now breaking promises made by every ANC president who accepted all those oppressed, as black,” he says.

In its submission, the party proposed the following:

“It is therefore proposed that: (a) the Regulations identify designated groups as “Black” and non- designated groups as “White”. Within the designated “Black” group, targets must be set based on population stats for African, Coloured, Indian, Asian, Sex (Gender) and Age groups, with age being a factor which should encourage black, young professional to enter sectors for which currently high barriers to entry are prohibitive for them. (b)When setting numeric targets, the regulations should set such targets based on the provincial population statistics, taking into consideration ethnicity and age of the actual or current potential economically active persons, that is, ages 20 to 60, as well as the exclusion and inclusion percentage based on gender. The targets should thus be centred on (a) provincial population data; (b) gender; and (c) age. The latter factor (age) should be particularly designed at entry level to reduce barriers of entry for young black persons.”