Adjunkspeaker en agb lede, ek wil graag aan die voorsitter van die komitee s ook die DA gee om. Daarom steun ons die wysiging van die wet op gelyke indiensneming. Hierdie wet het reeds 'n groot invloed op die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark gehad en is heeltemal versoenbaar met die DA se beleid van 'n oopgeleentheidsamelewing.
Suid-Afrikaners se geleenthede in die arbeidsmark is ongelukkig vir te lank benvloed deur herkoms en velkleur wat bepaal het waar jy woon en werk en watter poste ni vir jou beskore was nie. Ek glo daarom dat almal in hierdie Huis aksies steun wat die onregte van die apartheidsverlede probeer regstel. Natuurlik sou ons wil sien dat daar meer gesofistikeerde kriteria as ras moet wees om te bepaal wie hulp benodig om die onregte van die verlede te bowe te kom. Tans blyk dit dat ras, hoe kru ookal, nog steeds die beste klassifikasiemetode is. Dit is egter ons hoop dat die regering homself in die toekoms toenemend daarvoor sal beywer om 'n beter maatstaf as net ras te vind.
Dit is duidelik dat die opstellers van hierdie wetsontwerp daarvan oortuig is dat daar steeds ten opsigte van vergoeding en byvoordele tussen mense van verskillende rasse gediskrimineer word. Hierdie wetsontwerp maak dit dan ook makliker vir mense wat glo dat daar teen hulle gediskrimineer word om hul regte uit te oefen. Die wet op gelyke indiensneming het die potensiaal om op die lang termyn enorme voordele vir die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie te bring, maar indien hierdie wet nie met die nodige oorleg toegepas word nie, kan dit ook tot 'n baie groot verlies aan kundige arbeid in Suid-Afrika bydra.
Ek wil dus pleit dat gelyke indiensneming toenemend die onderwerp van formele studies sal wees. Die DA is dankbaar vir elke hofuitspraak wat groter helderheid oor die korrekte toepassing van di wet bring. Enigeen wat op 'n hartelose manier eis dat bruinmense die Wes-Kaap moet verlaat ten einde hul regmatige plek in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie en Staatsdiens op te eis, is in stryd met die gees van gelyke indiensnemingswetgewing. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr A P VAN DER WESTHUIZEN: Deputy Speaker and hon members, I would like to say to the chairperson of the committee that the DA also cares. Therefore we support the amendments to the Employment Equity Act. This Act has already made a huge impact on the South African labour market and is completely compatible with the DA's policy of an open opportunity society.
Unfortunately, South Africans' opportunities in the labour market have been influenced by descent and skin colour for too long, which determined where you lived, worked, and for which vacancies you were allowed to apply. I therefore believe that everyone in this House supports actions that are aimed at rectifying the injustices of the apartheid past. Obviously we would have liked to see more sophisticated criteria than race being used to determine who needs help in order to overcome the injustices of the past. At present, it seems that race, however crude this may be, is still the best classification method. However, we hope that the government will increasingly strive towards finding a better measure than race in the future.
It is clear that those who have drafted this Bill are convinced that people from different races are still being discriminated against with regard to remuneration and fringe benefits. This Bill also makes it easier for people who believe they are being discriminated against to exercise their rights. The Employment Equity Act has the potential to reap enormous benefits for the South African economy in the long term, but if this Act is not implemented with due diligence, it could also contribute to a very big loss of skilled labour in South Africa. I therefore want to make an appeal that employment equity should increasingly become the topic of formal studies. The DA is thankful for every court judgment that brings more clarity regarding the correct implementation of this Act. Anyone who is making heartless claims about coloured people having to leave the Western Cape in order for them to claim their rightful place in the South African economy and Public Service is contradicting the spirit of employment equity legislation.]
The statistics of the Commission for Employment Equity show that we still have a long way to go in order for all race groups to share in an equitable way in the benefits of this country. The statistics also show that the goal of employment equity is so much easier to reach in times of economic growth and under an effective education system. The National Development Plan summarises its approach as follows:
Career mobility and rising incomes are more likely in an economy that is growing rapidly. Selecting good quality black and female candidates will be easier if the education system is producing ever greater numbers of skilled black and female work entrants.
The poor performance of the economy over the last few years has resulted in a weakening of the figures indicating the measure of employment equity reached in South Africa.
Dit kan nie ontken word dat Suid-Afrika 'n groot tekort aan kundige arbeid het nie. Oor baie jare is hierdie tekort met buitelanders met die nodige kennis en kwalifikasies aangevul. Die wetsontwerp vandag voor hierdie Huis het onder meer ten doel om buitelanders van die aangewese groepe uit te sluit. Die skerp toename in plaaslike indiensneming van hoogs gekwalifiseerde en professionele persone, veral vanuit Afrika, is 'n duidelike aanduiding dat die grootste faktor wat regstellende aksie strem die tekort aan Suid-Afrikaners met die nodige kennis en vaardighede is.
Die gevaar met die wet op gelyke indiensneming is juis dat die probleme aan die insetkant van die arbeidsmark verdoesel kan word. In die proses kan dit maklik gebeur dat die regering nie hard genoeg werk om te verseker dat almal wat die skool, kollege of universiteit verlaat met dieselfde standaard van kennis en vaardighede toegerus is nie. Dit is waarom die DA glo dat die regering 'n oopgeleentheidsamelewing moet skep om so die grondslag vir ware regstellende aksie te l. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The fact that South Africa has a large shortage of skilled labour cannot be denied. This shortage has been dealt with over the years by employing foreigners with the necessary knowledge and qualifications. The Bill tabled before the House today seeks to exclude foreigners from the designated groups among other things. The sharp increase in local employment of highly qualified and professional people, especially from Africa, is a clear indication that the biggest factor that limits affirmative action is the shortage of South Africans with the necessary knowledge and skills.
The danger with the Employment Equity Act is precisely that problems relating to input into the labour market could be obscured. In the process it could easily be the case that the government is not working hard enough to ensure that everyone who leaves school, college or university is equipped with the same standards of knowledge and skills. That is why the DA believes that the government should create an open opportunity society in order to lay the foundation for true affirmative action. I thank you. [Applause.]]