One man's comments on everything


Friday, June 10, 2011

Affirmative action : a South African Perspective

If you google "affirmative action" there you will find such a varied difference of opinion on the definitions that you might as well see it as an argument within an argument against or for itself. It does not make sense. It is a racially based (or gender or religeous or whatever creteria you want to add) system no matter how you want to explain the reasons or thinking behind it. It devides more than it bring together - full stop !

In a country like South Africa where we have gone from a total separist society to one of the most progressive in the world in a very (VERY) short period of time and where the elimination of any form of discrimination is priority nr 1 this ugly system is having its innings and is deviding black and white in exactly that colour :  There are no greys - only black and white - literally and figuratively speaking

This quote sums it up perfectly :

"South Africa is the only country in the world where affirmative action is in the favour of the majority who has complete political control. The fact that the political majority requires affirmative action to protect them against a 9% minority group is testament to a complete failure on their part to build their own wealth making structures, such that their only solution is to take it from others."

Question :  Where on earth did the South African definition of  "Affirmative action" meaning  "employment in relation to the % of the population came from ? 
The actual phrase "affirmative action" was first used in President John F. Kennedy's 1961 Executive Order 10925 which requires federal contractors to "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin



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