28 July 2005
Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has expressed confidence at the establishment of a second Commission for Employment Equity.
He said that the appointment of the commission, to be chaired by Jimmy Manyi, would add impetus to the quest of achieving equality in the country’s workplaces.
The commission’s members are Marlene Bossett and Lebogang Montjane from business, Tefo Raditapole and Neva Makgetla from organised labour, Mzolisi kaToni and Khulu Mbongo from the community sector, and Alfred Tau representing the state.
Like the first commission – appointed in 1999 under the leadership of Mapule Ramashala – the second commission is mandated to advise the minister on codes of good practice, regulations, policy and other matters concerning the Employment Equity Act.
Mdladlana said the establishment of the commission came at a time when compliance with the law was moving too slowly, with recent statistics indicating that blacks, African women and disabled people were still discriminated against in relation to appointments to influential positions.
“The new commission will develop, adopt and implement strategies that vigorously respond to the very slow pace at which we are reaching the overall objectives of the Act,” Mdladlana said.
He said his department was balancing enforcement of employment equity compliance with strengthening collaboration with social partners, as well as aligning employment equity with broad-based black economic empowerment, skills development and preferential procurement.
Source: BuaNews
