Zuma warns firms over parity
PRIVATE companies without women as directors and executive managers will soon face penalties, President Jacob Zuma said on National Women's Day
Zuma said government would also be amending the Employment Equity Act to bring about equal pay for work of equal value between sexes.
Addressing thousands of women who had gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Zuma said representation of women at top management levels in the public sector remains "inadequate".
Zuma said he has directed Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana to speed up the Gender Equality Bill to enforce gender parity measures across all sectors of society. "The census reveals that although there is a slight increase in the employment of women in top executive positions, this increase is minimal.
"What is more disturbing is that there are still companies that have a zero percentage of women representation as directors and executive managers," Zuma said.
He said the ANC-led government administration had increased the number of woman both at national and provincial level.
There are 14 Cabinet ministers and 15 deputy ministers. At provincial level, five out of nine premiers are women.
The ANC Women's League said in a statement that patriarchy still affected society, "threatening to undermine the huge gains made by women". "These gains and equalities need to go beyond the paper they are printed on and filter down to women on the ground," the league said.
The celebrations were kicked-off with the unveiling of the women's memorial site at the Lillian Ngoyi Square in the Pretoria CBD.
Ngoyi is one of the leaders of the 1956 women's march to the Union Buildings.
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22112JO
WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD CAN A PRESIDENT (WITH GRADE 5 DECIDE ) OR RECOMMEND THAT PRIVATE COMPANIES SHOULD HAVE MORE FEMALES ON THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS..I DO NOT MIND IF ALL THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE ETC . IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF ANY BOARD TO HAVE THE CREAM OF WHAT IS AVAILALBLE ....... THE CROWD LISTENING TO HIS SPEECH WILL HOPEFULLY NOT FALL FOR HISVOTE SEEKING EXERCISE.
SOUTH AFRICA CAN DO MUCH BETTER .THAN ZUMA. . WE WANT A PRESIDENT THAT SERVES THE COUNTRY AND NOT ONE THAT MILKS THE COUNTRY.
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DjEp
Are you planning to start fishing on academics Mr Zuma. In all your speech yesterday it sounded very correct and honest but coming from you it can only make one wonder what "DO YOU MEAN"? If Mbeki or Montlanthe said those words im sure the country would still be applauding even now, it would echoe in us for the next 12months until another women's day. Coming from Mr Zuma it sounded as electioneering strategy and creating another pool of wise women for Mr Zuma to feed.Report Abuse
Home1234
Talk Talk Talk. That's all he does. The man is so out of touch its just a joke. No-one wants to be employed because "the government said so". No-one wants to feel that they are being forced into positions where they are not wanted because "the government said so". We want to earn our right to hold down the senior position. We want to earn the respect of our peers. The AA business has done no-one any favours. Zuma just flapped his gums because it was expected of him. He has no concern at all for women, children, or anyone else for that matter. His greed has consumed him and this pityful effort to garner votes fails dismally. When are we going to get a ruling party, and specifically a president, that is honourable and deserving of respect. It does'nt matter the colour or gender, it just matters that they love this country and its people more than themselves and realise that they are servants of the people and not the other way around. Go away, zuma. You have bled us dry and we've had enough.Report Abuse
jnrb
Sorry "Merit" is the only thing that counts. Would Pres Zuma really allow a doctor to perform surgery on his eyes who has been fast tracked through medicine school in 2 years? Why is education, business, sports etc any different? As for his cabinet look at Angie Mosheka - I rest my case.Report Abuse
Ranza
jnrbFully agree with you. I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST WOMEN, but our politicians should know that parity in the workplace is not like being a member of a Political Party. Most companies have production targets,and therefore appoint people on high positions based on their credentials. No one would run their company at a loss because of some ...... government policy.
Some leaders should be careful what they say when they are on that podium, some issues are very delicate. They will end-up pushing companies away. This is not like in a Political Party were you wake up and say "so and so" will be the Minister of a certain Department. People must make an effort to be illegible for positions.
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Deepstick-C
I ask again, why only now msholozi, why only now? Whats the progress on Zumaville?Report Abuse
The-Vince
This is just absurd, so it means now those who have the skills and experience in those positions should now be fired so that someone without any skills, knowledge or experience in such a position be hired, all in the name of having a female representative..? Alas i aint bashing out the truth that there are less woman in such positions, and things should change, but something like this can not be done overnight, one has got to have the knowledge, the skills, the experience and finally qualifications in order to accupy such a position. Any way a lot of woman out there are not interested nje in such things, all they want is a rich nigga who will buy them a fency car, wear top brands, go to top noch clubs and be seen amongs the high-flyers. Woman need to wake up stop thinking that man will provide everything for em, times have changed.Report Abuse
The-Vince
Home1234---------------------------------------------------------------------
Well said my sister......!
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The-Vince
My plea goes out to all the brothers out there, guys lets get education bafethu, its rough out there these days if you are a man, in a few years to come most of us will be sidelined because of our gender...all ready it happens.Report Abuse
somaartakeit
Just when one thought zuma can't drop another mindless bombshell he just goes pulls all the stops, honestly zuma, have you forgottn that your regime has f'd up education as such there aren't enough qualified women who can field senior position hence many are found just in administrative or assistance posts?anc can you please for sake of love for this country put zuma into an institution? He has clearly lost it as he tries to garner second term, he has to open his mouth just to make himself relevant if when what he says doesn't make sense, Trevor Manual I still have some respect for you, can you please advise zuma on how to say intelligible stuff in public? Do you not feel embarrassed by this obvious clueless dufus?
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