Twenty-six years since the enactment of Employment Equity (EE) Act – its implementation shows that while there is movement the impact is minute, said Department of Employment and Labour Deputy Director for EE, Masilo Lefika.

“The journey that we have walked so far has been difficult. While there is a movement at top levels – the data reflects that for those over represented there is a reduction, however their representation is still dominant. There is a reduction of traditional dominant racial groups, but this is happening at snail pace,” Lefika said.

Is there any stick to be used? asked Lefika, “We will leave that to legislatures”.

He was addressing the start of Department and Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) joint national EE workshops in Klerksdorp at Rio Hotel Convention Centre.

The initial workshop follows the release recently of 24th Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) Annual Report which showed that the White population group represented 62.1% and the Indian population group represented 11.6% of all positions at the Top Management level, which is significantly higher than their respective Economically Active Populations (EAPs).

The report showed that the African population group with an EAP of 80.7% accounted for only 17.2% and the Coloured population group with an EAP of 9% accounted for only 6.1% of all positions at this occupational level. The report further showed that representation of Foreign Nationals remained relatively high at 3.0% at this occupational level. It also reported that only 1.8% of Top management is made up of employees with disabilities.

The CEE report measures the performance levels on six occupational levels: Top management; Senior management; Professionally qualified; Skilled technical; Semi skilled; Unskilled. It showed that the African and Coloured groups dominate the lower levels and exceed their EAP at these levels.

The 2024 Employment Equity workshops are held under the theme: “Bridging the Equity Gap Through Diversity & Inclusion”.

This year’s EE workshops will focus on:

• The EE status of the labour market as per 24th CEE Annual Report;
• An update on the EE amendments, in particular the proposed draft regulations on proposed sector EE targets;
• An update on the 2024 EE reporting season;
• Key insights from the CCMA on topical cases related to unfair discrimination in terms of harassment, disability and discrimination based on arbitrary grounds.

Department of Employment and Labour Chief Director: Provincial Operations (CD:PO) in the North West Province, Sphetho Siyengo, talking during the opening and start of 2024 Employment Equity national workshops/roadshows told stakeholders that employment equity was about creating an environment where everyone feels they belong and can make meaningful contribution.

The CD:PO said during the Department’s inspections on EE – inspectors have identified areas of shortfall in regard to compliance and these include: a lack of consultation in the workplace, lack of conducting analysis on barriers to EE and also the Department has identified that employers or businesses assign junior employees to handle EE issues.

“For EE to succeed this requires broad participation and development of effective equity plans,” Mr Siyengo said.
The national series of workshops/roadshows which started today (06 August 2024) ends on 18 September 2024 in Pretoria.
The second EE workshop will be held tomorrow (07 August 2024) in Rustenburg at Orion Hotel.

The 2024 programme of workshops will unfold as follows:

Northern Cape

• Upington (13 August 2024) – (Aloe Guest Manor - 19 Built St, Die Rand)
• Kimberley (15 July 2024) – (Savoy Hotel - 19 Old De Beers Road, City Centre)

Free State

• Bloemfontein (13 August 2023) – (Bon Hotel - Bloem Plaza, East Burger Street)

Limpopo

• Thohoyandou (20 August 2024) – (To be confirmed [TBC])
• Polokwane (21 August 2024) – (TBC)

KwaZulu-Natal

• Pietermaritzburg (27 August 2024) – (TBC)
• Durban (28 August 2023) – (TBC)

Mpumalanga

• Nelspruit (27 August 2024) – (TBC)
• Witbank (Emalahleni) - (28 August 2024) – (TBC)

Western Cape

• Saldanha Bay (03 September 2024) – (TBC)
• Cape Town (04 September 2024) – (TBC)

Eastern Cape

• East London (10 September 2024) – (TBC)
• Gqeberha (11 September 2024) – (TBC)

Gauteng

• Johannesburg (17 September 2024) – (TBC)
• Pretoria (18 September 2024) – (TBC)

The EE workshops are targeted at Employers or Heads of organisations, Academics, Assigned Senior Managers, Consultative forum members, Human Resource Practitioners, Trade Unions, employees and interested stakeholders.

These will be held from 10:00 to 14:00 in the respective venues and members of the media are invited.

More information on the EE workshops, including updates on the venues to be used, will be available on Department’s and the CCMA’s social media platform as well as the Department’s website: www.labour.gov.za

Media enquiries
Teboho Thejane Departmental Spokesperson 
Cell: 082 697 0694
E-mail: Teboho.Thejane@labour.gov.za