1. In South Africa, though, not only did gender limit opportunities, but so too did
race. Aligning itself with our Constitution, which guarantees non-discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, political opinion and religious beliefs, amongst other things, employment equity’s overarching aim is to ensure equal opportunity for all, and, in so doing, ensuring that the discriminatory approach and practices of the past aren’t continued or repeated in future. These ideals of non-discrimination and equal opportunity are encapsulated in the Employment Equity Act, No. 55 of 1998, and as further amended in the Employment Equity Amendment Act, No. 47 of 2013.
Affirmative action falls under the Employment Equity Act but, unlike employment equity which takes the long-term view, affirmative action can be described as a short-term labour policy which is aimed at redressing the inequalities of the past and, in so doing, achieving a transformed workplace which is representative of the greater South African population. In short, the Employment Equity Act provides a framework for implementing affirmative action.
(2) Equality will always be an integral policy indicator with affirmative action being one of the key ingredients for its achievement, especially with the Equality Principle entrenched in our Constitution. Every policy is subject to periodic
Review, so is the Affirmative Action
(3) None of the above
(4) None of the above