South Africa’s Department of Labour and Employment published a set of racial quotas this week that applies strict rules across 18 different industries and threatens businesses with steep fines if they do not comply.
BusinessTech, a South African publication, reported Thursday (original emphasis):
The laws apply to businesses that employ 50 or more people and require that their workforces reflect the country’s demographics at all levels.
These employees include black (African, Coloured and Indian), female and diabled [sic] workers.
Failure to do so could see employers face fines of up to R1.5 million or 2% of turnover and having their Employment Equity Compliance Certificates—essential for state contracts—withdrawn.
Businesses will have some limited ability to appeal the strict racial targets, described by The Citizen:
It is stipulated that companies implement a structure where there is a “designated group” – women and non-whites – composition of over 90% in 15 of the 18 sectors. Of the 18 sectors, 11 have a designated group target of over 95% for the skilled technical bracket.
The National Employers’ Association of South Africa and Sakeliga have said they will take the government to court because the rules are “unconstitutional, unlawful and harmful”.
The Citizen added that to a reasonable observer, the new rules looked like “social engineering by skin colour.”
The South African government’s own press release on the topic could not be accessed, as the relevant web page appeared to be down.
The Trump administration has cut off aid to South Africa over what it says is the mistreatment of white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners and farmers, to whom the U.S. government has offered asylum.
President Donald Trump said earlier this month: “They’ve got some bad things going on in South Africa. … a lot of bad things are happening in South Africa. The fake news ought to be looking at it. They don’t want to report it.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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