13 October 2006
"Tough times lie ahead for companies failing to abide by the Employment
Equity Act", Labour Minister, Membathisi Mdladlana, said today (Friday). He was
addressing the 30th annual conference of the Black Management Forum (BMF), in
Durban.
"I have instructed my officials in all provinces to follow up with companies
that have not submitted their equity reports and I will never apologise for
this. It's very disappointing to see some companies doing all they can to
divert our attention from the real issue, namely, failing to address the
content of the 6th annual report of the Commission for Employment Equity."
Minister Mdladlana said some companies tried to undermine the reporting
system by changing names, without informing the Department about name changes.
"For instance, if you sent us a report in 2002 as African Oxygen and three
years later, you report as Afrox, how do you expect us to pick up the fact that
this is the same company?"
He challenged the companies failing to comply with the equity laws to stop
doing whatever they deem possible to frustrate the equity laws. "We will fight
racism from wherever it rears its ugly head. We will follow up with all
companies that flout the law. My advice to them is to start clearing their
houses before we come in," the Minister said.
The Minister urged the BMF to champion the strategic review of Sector
Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) in the same way as they took part in
the employment equity laws creation. He said while some people wanted SETAs to
be scrapped, he felt that they should be retained but made to be more
effective.
The Minister said SETAs were an important mechanism to help in the skills
acquisition in South Africa, especially during this critical time. "We should
at all times remember that SETAs are bodies of peoples' power and we should
find a way of dealing with this issue without destroying them," he said.
The Minister said time had come for managers in the public sector to belong
to the BMF so "that they can hear some of the concerns you are raising. You may
think that Ministers are powerful. The more questions you raise, the more your
leadership style is challenged. These government officials are important
because they can make or break the transformation process," he said.
Enquiries:
Mokgadi Pela
Cell: 082 808 2168
Issued by: Department of Labour
13 October 2006
