South Africa remains the most unequal country in the world – says
Employment and Labour Inspector-General.
There is very little to show in terms of transformation in the workplace
in South Africa even after 24 years the country entered into democracy.
This is according to the Department of Employment and labour Deputy
Director-General Inspection and Enforcement Service, Aggy Moiloa.
Moiloa was delivering a keynote address during the Department of
Employment and Labour’s Employment Equity Breakfast Session at the Da
Vinci Hotel in Sandton, Gauteng a week ago.
The purpose of the Breakfast Session, themed: “It begins with the
will, desire and a decision to commit to transformation”, was meant to
debrief and inform various stakeholders such as the employers and
employment consultancy on the following:
* Overview of Employment Equity and Transformation of Workplaces
2021/22 Financial Year.
* Status of Compliance with Employment Equity
* Employment Equity Amendment Bill 2018
* And included an open discussion in relevant matters with concerned
stakeholders in the programme
“Unfortunately 24 years later (since the enactment of the Employment
Equity Act in 1998) EEA, when it comes to the area of employment equity,
we have got very little to show in terms of transformation. All of us by
choice or by default can be an activist for transformation. Our slight
posture as a country, it surely really its ugly head even in the
instance of pioneering and driving transformation,” said Moiloa.
Moiloa said compliance levels with EEA remains regretfully low and
said that the low levels of compliance frustrate the intention of policy
interventions.
“So the issue of non-compliance with the Employment Equity cushions
and sustains unpalatable tendencies. South Africa remains the most
unequal country in the world. Discrimination runs too deep.
Transformation leaves a lot to be desired. The level of compliance is
even more unacceptable,” Moiloa.
Moiloa said in the 2021 to 2022 financial year, the level of
non-compliance in terms of the Employment Equity is at six percent of
compliance and 96 percent for non-compliance.
The Breakfast Session was also attended by other speakers such as the
Chairperson of the Commission for Employment Equity, Tabea Kabinde,
who presented on the 21st Employment Equity Report; Mxolisi Yabo,
Deputy Director: Statutory Services presented on the Employment Equity
Amendment Bill 2018 and Advocate Fikiswa Bede, Chief Director: Advocacy
Stakeholder Relations – who shared the status of compliance with
Employment Equity by employers in the country.
Bede told attendees that 860 inspections on Employment Equity have
been conducted across the country from April to December 2022. However,
only 12 employers were found to be compliant and 848 were found to be
non-compliant.
“So, the levels of non-compliance really frustrate the intention of
policy intervention which seeks to achieve transformation in the labour
market and we have not seen it even if you check the Employment Equity
Report,” said Advocate Bede.
Moiloa also said that the Department has also started inspections of
the JSE Securities-listed companies in South Africa.
