Whites continue to dominate top posts

The levels of workplace transformation in South Africa painted what the Department of Employment and Labour described as a disappointing picture, with white people still occupying the lion’s share of all positions at the top management level at 62.1%.

The department also conceded that the state failed to meet its own Cabinet-set targets of achieving 2% representation of employees with disabilities. It currently stands at 1.2% of the total workforce in 2023.

Innocent Makwarela, the department’s deputy director for Employment Equity (EE), disclosed these figures when speaking at an EE workshop this week.

The workshop followed the release of the 24th Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) annual report, which showed that white people represented 62.1% and the Indian population group represented 11.6% of all positions at the top management level.

This was significantly higher than their respective Economically Active Populations (EAPs) and in stark contrast to further findings which showed the African population group with an EAP of 80.7% accounted for only 17.2% and the coloured population group with an EAP of 9% accounted for only 6.1% of all positions at this occupational level.

Representation of foreign nationals remained relatively high at 3.0% at this occupational level.

The findings were similar to last year’s report, as the 23rd edition also found disproportionate representation, with white people occupying 62.9% of all positions at this level across South Africa.

The private sector remained the largest employer in South Africa (72.2%), followed by the government (16.8%).

Wholesale and retail trade (13.0%) were the biggest employers, followed by manufacturing (11.8%) and agriculture activities and administrative and support activities (8.6%).

“White and Indian population groups, both male and female, are highly represented in most business types at the top management level, particularly in the private sector.

“However, the representation of the African and coloured population groups, both male and female, appears to be closest to their EAP in all spheres of government and in state owned enterprises at this occupational level.”

The representation of foreign nationals is highest in non-profit organisations, private sector and educational institutions at this occupational level.

“It has been 26 years since the Employment Equity Act was put into effect and 30 years since the start of democratic South Africa. However, there is still strong debate and emotional reaction surrounding the legitimacy of employment equity and equality.

“The implementation of the Employment Equity Act often leads to legal challenges, some of which seem more like political manoeuvres rather than genuine disagreements with the Act’s objectives. The EE Amendment Act has yet to be fully implemented due to the absence of a proclamation date, leading to many of the benefits intended by these amendments remaining out of reach. It is evident that South Africans must come together through constructive means to form a social compact that will drive the country towards the necessary transformation of the labour market,” the report stated.

In response to the report’s latest findings, trade union federation Cosatu said the report “leaves a bitter taste in the mouth as white and male dominance in top positions in the private sector remains glaring”.

Cosatu’s parliamentary co-ordinator, Matthew Parks, said: “Cosatu laments the shockingly sluggish pace of transformation in the workplace.

While Cosatu welcomes the noticeable change in the representation of historically disadvantaged groups in middle management positions, it is regrettable and unacceptable that 30 years into democracy, race and gender profiling of workers continues to be a lived reality in boardrooms as opposed to the appointment of candidates on the basis of their skills, qualifications and experience.

“This calls for a more vigorous implementation of the Employment Equity Act by the Department of Labour and Employment and its embrace by employers. It’s been close to a year since the Amendment Act came into effect on the 1st of September 2023 making provisions for the government to strengthen its interventions and ability to hold employers accountable for their role and failures to adhere to the Employment Equity Act.

Employers must be held accountable for non-compliance which is the main culprit behind the leeway for selected individuals to hoard top management positions.”

Parks said the economy of the country will only grow if all South Africans, irrespective of race and gender are included, supported and enabled to meet their full career potential.

“Equally, we will only be able to tackle the entrenched levels of inequality if we overcome the barriers facing black and female employees as well as persons with disabilities.”

General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) president Mametlwe Sebei said the economic structure remained one of the unresolved contradictions of post apartheid.

“With the end of apartheid, it’s a situation where apartheid structures and the repressive regime was brought to an end but the economic structures remain unresolved. The unresolved national question consists in the fact that the economy is still monopolised by a predominantly white domestic capitalist class and an overwhelming foreign imperial capitalist class.

Therefore, it is particularly those groups that previously were oppressed that would remain excluded from the management of the economy. The management of the economy, the private sector in particular, is closely related to ownership of the economy.”

Cape Times