IT WILL take black people another 127 years to get into top management positions relative to their number in the economically active population, the Employment Equity Commission says
The commission's chairperson, Mpho Nkeli, released the 11th report on employment equity at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, saying that racism continued to be one of the greatest influences on the slow pace of transformation.
The report revealed that very little had changed in the top four levels of management in the private sector, with whites taking 73 percent of top management positions last year.
"Africans" hold only 12,7 percent of top management jobs, "coloureds" 4,6 percent and Indians 6,8 percent.
In senior management, whites hold 64 percent of top jobs, with Africans having 17,6 percent, coloureds 7 percent and Indians 9,1 percent.
"The dominant position of white representation at this level remained above 70percent from 2006 to 2010. Real progress towards increasing the representation of especially Africans and coloureds at this level appear distant," said Nkeli.
She added that over the past four years, the number of black top managers had risen by only 1,4 percent, and at this rate, it would take another 127 years for blacks to be in top management positions, proportional to the population, and another 32 years for transformation to happen in senior management.
The report was based on figures supplied by 18,000 companies.
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, pictured, said she was "aghast and disappointed" at the slow pace of change. The Employment Equity Act already allows government to fine anyone who flouts it by up to R900,000 but Nkeli said that nobody had ever been fined since 1998.
Nkeli said even when top managers retired, "the companies are not using the opportunities to employ black people. Business knows what to do. When they want to do so, they will do so", she said.
Although the number of whites in top management had decreased by 1,8 percent over the past four years, 59 percent of new recruits to top management are white.
Top management jobs still go to whites
IT WILL take black people another 127 years to get into top management positions relative to their number in the economically active population, the Employment Equity Commission says
The commission's chairperson, Mpho Nkeli, released the 11th report on employment equity at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, saying that racism continued to be one of the greatest influences on the slow pace of transformation.
The report revealed that very little had changed in the top four levels of management in the private sector, with whites taking 73 percent of top management positions last year.
"Africans" hold only 12,7 percent of top management jobs, "coloureds" 4,6 percent and Indians 6,8 percent.
In senior management, whites hold 64 percent of top jobs, with Africans having 17,6 percent, coloureds 7 percent and Indians 9,1 percent.
"The dominant position of white representation at this level remained above 70percent from 2006 to 2010. Real progress towards increasing the representation of especially Africans and coloureds at this level appear distant," said Nkeli.
She added that over the past four years, the number of black top managers had risen by only 1,4 percent, and at this rate, it would take another 127 years for blacks to be in top management positions, proportional to the population, and another 32 years for transformation to happen in senior management.
The report was based on figures supplied by 18,000 companies.
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, pictured, said she was "aghast and disappointed" at the slow pace of change. The Employment Equity Act already allows government to fine anyone who flouts it by up to R900,000 but Nkeli said that nobody had ever been fined since 1998.
Nkeli said even when top managers retired, "the companies are not using the opportunities to employ black people. Business knows what to do. When they want to do so, they will do so", she said.
Although the number of whites in top management had decreased by 1,8 percent over the past four years, 59 percent of new recruits to top management are white.
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