Ref: Balop004
07 February 2012
It is always easier to be critical. Being critical is
an action. If we consider the aftermath,
or the leftover feelings then we’ll find that to hold back on criticising can
spare much. It is only later, much later, that one realises when criticism
would have prolonged the culmination of a solution. Criticism almost always causes an unnecessary
leftover feeling. After the act of criticising, or when the matter is resolved,
then the impact of the criticism continues to affect the relationship between
people, viz. those who levelled and those who received criticism. How do we
develop the ability to know when criticising is important and when to let it
ride?
Issues require different approaches in order that they
may be adequately addressed. In these opinion pieces the impact of Affirmative
Action and Black Economic Empowerment, it is the New Apartheid, requires loud
and persistent criticism. Failure to be persistently loud about the impact of
these bizarre policies shall result in it lasting a lifetime. Can we afford this? Can we afford not to
consistently and persistently table the unfolding tragedy of Affirmative Action
and its devastating potential consequence on South African life? The challenge though has to be free from
discrimination, one against another; free from racist thinking, sexist thinking
and the criticism has to be non-accusatory in order for the better solution,
the ”What is Right” solution to emerge.
Today it is only through being vocal about this unfolding
tragedy of our South African lifetime that the different thoughts about the
same experience will be tabled, listened to, processed and implemented.
Let’s pose the question - Will Affirmative Action go
away in time if we choose to keep silent about the nasty effect it is having on
our lives in South Africa?
1.
This question is
similar to asking whether men (mainly) would stop spousal assault and abuse if silence
prevailed and if the law did not criminalise such acts. Nonetheless, try calling the police to a
scene of domestic violence and the retort shall in all probability include “we
cannot intervene in domestic matters”
2. What about rape? Will rape decrease if we sit back and
refrain from speaking out; assume that instead we opt to speak out amongst each other in whispered
tones like those do who snigger and are not
supporters of this new apartheid, this affirmative action thing as
applied? To decide not to speak out about something that is clearly and
obviously an injustice is, at least, an act of hypocrisy – but like lemmings we
jump at an opportunity to leap and leap over the cliff because it is too damn
unpopular to say that the New Apartheid is amputating my country’s soul. Why can we not, take a stand and proclaim
what is wrong, and; then point to what is right? Instead, like the schoolboy,
afraid of retribution, we prefer to mumble and grumble about what is right
whilst the wrong continues to be celebrated.
Yes, to speak out is an act, the articulation of a divergent view and
the leftover feeling of such stance is often UNPOPULARITY. Would you prefer
being popular and continue to whisper when speaking about what is right? Choosing
the latter is a choice to be benign and also a choice in favour of being a
hypocrite. After all, you now have the government
that you deserve, so why bother?
3. Painstakingly your government ensures that justice and
fairness prevail whilst it manages the removal of an errant and lumpen gang of
youth in its midst, but; does it do the same for job creation and the
restoration of opportunities that can facilitate the earning of dignity among
ordinary people?
This series I’ve written, to date, makes an attempt to
map the history of the injustice, unfairness and evil that determines access to
opportunities. Without understanding
where Affirmative Action discrimination stems from, what it sets out to achieve
and evaluating it against what is right one is not able to cognitively examine
empirical arguments to determine its levels of validity. Therefore, the
opinions were somewhat indulging, and it is not yet done with.
This time the focus begins to shift and explores what
alternatives could be considered.
Given the brief background alluded to above and
expanded upon in the previous written pieces it may be contentious to state
that South Africa has a need for affirmation.
The view is that all countries have a need to affirm citizens, why else
is there a need for a government if we are not geared, through regulation, to
affirm one another by providing access to information and opportunities in a
regulated dignified manner with the State as the Regulator? What is important though is that people be
affirmed for the right reasons. In South
Africa this affirmation is informed by a past where skin colour was used to
deny individuals access to opportunities.
The same principle, a repeated principle, is applied today to correct
what is the biggest institutionalised wrong in the world, apartheid. Is this what is right? Is it right that we encourage
one group to discriminate against another? Whereas those at the receiving end
of the new discrimination is mainly are mainly children of those who previous beneficiaries
because of their fair skin-tones?
Today people with dark-skin tones are affirmed in
South Africa. Previously people with fair skin-tones were affirmed. People with
fair skins previously had access to all the better opportunities and
facilities. Today people with dark skins
have access to all the better opportunities.
Previously we had lesser qualified fair skinned people
appointed against positions for which they were not absolutely equipped. The same happens today, but in favour of
dark-skinned people. Today we have many dark-skinned people appointed against
positions for which they are not yet ready. We could argue that the same
prevailed in the past. Was it right then to appoint unqualified people against
certain positions, and; was it in the interest of the business, organisation or
the country? If not, then why is it okay
today to appoint persons who are not yet ready to assume the responsibility,
but who have the favoured skin complexion and perhaps the necessary academic
qualifications? Is it in the interest of the country to have unqualified and
inexperienced people appointed against positions within companies, particularly
companies where many thousands of people enjoy employment, rely on employment
and; where growth leadership is expected to create jobs and provide
sustainability for existing jobs?
There is a need to speak about an alternative to this new apartheid.
Education is important, but learning is fundamentally superior. Over the years many people have graduated
with respectable academic qualifications attained at reputable institutions.
How do they fare when having to apply the knowledge represented by their
qualifications? This brings one to the point about experience. One cannot learn
experience at an institution of learning, only in practice. When placed in an
environment where practice can occur the role of pupil should at least be
alongside a person who is willing and able to provide guidance so that
experience can be earned, and; thereby add to the foundation knowledge that
people with various qualifications already have.
What about a method of instructing pupils to take the
task to a new improved level? What is
being done about this need; what are we doing to stimulate and encourage
creativity and innovation in the world of work, or are we of the view that
these things shall occur naturally? I am aware that, in South Africa, we refer
to pupils as learners and teachers as educators. I wonder if these new terms
bring bout improved value, or whether it, like affirmative action means
apartheid, also is simply a new tongue exercise? In my opinion pupils get
taught and teachers teach.
The mark of a good teacher, it is said, is one who produces
people who are more skilled at the subject than s/he is. I know many such
committed and passionate teachers. I shall forever be celebrating them because
even I had the good fortune to be exposed to a few in my time. Therefore, I cannot help but feel for the “learners”
of the Eastern Cape, a province in South Africa, where many teachers choose to
exercise their industrial rights at the expense of teaching time – even in the
light of better methods to resolve disputes.
Meanwhile, companies employ dark-skin toned people
mainly because they want the company’s black economic employment scorecard to
look good and not because the company is particularly keen on correcting the
past, even if such correction were possible. There are other reasons too why those
who can, resist creating opportunities for others to earn experience. Examples
of the latter include the need experienced people have to remain indispensable,
posture in order to have their retirement postponed, or because they fear being
overlooked for promotion in favour of the person whom they train. Natural
attrition remains a reality.
The better approach is grounded in a number of related
principles being put in place. These principles include how people are selected
for appointment against certain positions.
Selection panels have to follow strict guidelines because the beginning
is a good place to start.
·
The guidelines
should take cognisance of the demographic composition within the business and
compare this statistic with the demographics of the region it draws employees
from
·
If the demographics
are not adequately reflected, which is always the case, then a constant attempt
should be made to draw from demographic segments that are under-represented across the company
divide, but only on the proviso that the identified person is the most suited
candidate – for this reason the appointment of a quorate selection panel is
fundamental
o Under representation will never be completely resolved,
but if there is no concerted method in place then we shall never make progress
in the right direction. For this reason the various tight (permanent) and loose
(flexible) rules used to comprise a selection panel should constantly strive to
come as close to the optimum level as is possible. Therefore we should
consistently measure and evaluate the outcome of what is measured
·
The Selection Panel
itself should consist of relevantly skilled persons who reflect the required demographics,
and; appointments via other processes should by law not be acceptable
·
The above criteria
should be legislated and regulated by the State.
Once persons are appointed their reporting officer should
be incentivised to build capacity by affording experience earning opportunities
for the incumbents. This incentive could be financial and materialises when
targets are reached. Included should be components where measuring instruments
to determine how foundation qualified people are encouraged to become
innovative and creative, and how they learn to apply the theoretical knowledge
acquired at tertiary institutions. Therefore, targets should be the sum of all
the measuring exercises with equal weight apportioned to each. Currently
targets are financial and if financial targets are reached then bonuses are
paid. This opinion proposes to change
this by introducing sustainability through capacitating the next generation as
an equally important criterion in the determination of whether or not targets
are reached. To only be measured against reaching financial targets is not
sustainable. To measure in a more holistic manner is essentially much more
sustainable because it ensures better future growth and builds history as well
as tenacity used most when businesses face the inevitable trying times.
Reporting officers who refuse, or consistently fail should be performance
managed and if failings persist they should be removed from positions of
responsibility. Harsh, but it is better to have a sustainable business than a
bubble business consisting of a few easy riders who refuse to work in the
interest of sustaining the business.
Clear guidelines should prevail for each of the above
systems and the measuring instruments should jointly and severally test for
application as well as outcome. These guidelines can encompass a series of
development points. Development points,
in this context, refer to how people are encouraged to apply their knowledge, encourage
innovation and creative ability to the improvement of the position against
which they are appointed. Through
consistently measuring for this application the concept of repetition will be
put to practice alongside the ability for newness. Where innovation / newness is
not encouraged we will exacerbate the continuation of outdated practices, and;
businesses will increasingly experience stunted growth. If relevant growth is not encouraged and measured
for then businesses will become uncompetitive and later insignificant – the
creation of an unsustainable employment environment shall emerge, particularly
if we continue to deliriously apply methods enshrined in coaching and mentoring
techniques where we teach how things were done in order that it can be done. I
argue that your supply chain is your business. In other words, client
accessibility will increasingly determine the distribution of your product, so
too, if we do not actively manage to unleash creativity and innovation then we
are managing in favour of insignificance.
We live in a country where job creation is fundamental
to our existence. We cannot afford to
employ people who are not geared to grow the position. The best person for the
job is what is going to bring about growth.
The best person approach will put an end to the endemic increase in
entitlement expectations and to disillusionment brought about by being
over-looked when knowledge, skill and ability is evident. Using skin colour as
criterion to determine who to appoint is draconian, discriminatory and
unsustainable – what are we teaching young people? You see, we go around the
world teaching people how to treat us, by the way we behave.
Companies will continue to appoint people for show - window
dressing. The reason remains the “scorecard” and not the doing of what is
right. Spurious, is another way to
describe this action, racist too, discriminatory and exploitative. Twenty (20) years after the advent of equal
opportunity employment strategies workplaces in South Africa continue not to
reflect the demographics of the nation. Standards
in service delivery continue to decline, and; senior positions in the Civil
Service remain vacant, or occupied by more persons appointed against positions
defined as acting roles.
It is known that certain businesses opt for the payment
of fines, or forfeit contracts in favour of employing people with ability and
skill as opposed to being forced to employ persons because they reflect groups
who were marginalised Twenty (20) years ago.
Business will not grow if the employees are not
skilled. Skilled people have to be developed from a pool where foundation
knowledge and passion is evident. This is how sustainable jobs will be created.
I read that there is a campaign named “Each One Employ One”. Job creation is
the flavour of the month. What about sustainable job creation?
In its mission statement South Africa claims to be a non-racist
society. However, the South African employment legislation is race based. We will not reach employment targets within
Five (5) years, Ten (10) years or over Eighteen (18) years, the latter being
2030 as stated in the 450 page National Development Plan, a publication by the National
Planning Commission. Such employment targets are only possible if fundamentals
about how businesses are developed, measured, encouraged, and; how growth is
managed on the back of hardworking best suited employees. Currently we are
gearing to blame the global economic slump for the failure to create
sustainable jobs. The real reason why our growth is plummeting is largely
because of the insistence that we need correct the past. We choose to do so by the application of the
race when promulgating and applying Affirmative Action and Black Economic
Empowerment legislation.
There is much detail in the above that is
omitted. Much of it is obvious, but in
the pending discussion many points will become apparent. We live in an
environment where management without effective measuring, deficient assumption
of responsibility and accountability can only result in mismanagement. The reality if proclaimed differently though.
Each one has to teach another, but the method of applied
teaching should encourage newness, innovation and creativity.
Our society is bereft with criminal activity. South Africans tell of a time where people
living next door to each other took a greater interest in the well-being of the
neighbour and please, this phenomenon is not limited to those who lived in
SOWETO. However, this collegial sense is sadly replaced by a sense of
disrespect. Perhaps it is the way of the
world?
In some instances charity is alive in the home, but
not as alive as it once was, seemingly.
The result is that lawlessness is increasing faster than it ever has.
The police statistics do not agree with me. I live in South Africa and I can
compare lawlessness today with decades ago.
I also remember that it was unthinkable to imagine my teacher gyrating
on TV whilst violently gesturing with a placard, which placard contains
spelling errors...
I was a boy in 1977 when Steve Biko was murdered. My father took me along to a commemoration
service held in the St. George’s Cathedral, Wale Street, Cape Town – my first
real exposure to the South Africa I then did not know. It was a summer’s day. We
were in the most beautiful city in the world and I was blissfully unaware. The
liturgy included a commemoration pew leaflet.
I read the words and heard them spoke, and, my thoughts were that
someday I too shall understand what all of this means. I memorised those words,
“… we need hope when despair is most reasonable. Despair is seductive and rank;
it pollutes the atmosphere… When are we going to say that the suppression of
truth stops here…?”
These words live in my head and as I grow older they
become more and more meaningful. Society crumbles under the weight of greed,
revenge, skin colour, entitlement, arrogance and I feel us become more and more
blinded to the reality...
The workplace has a role to play; people can learn
respect, common courtesy and good manner; they can do this at work too. Social responsibility does not have to end
with sponsoring the poor soccer team in a township.
I want to live in a vibrant South Africa. I want
people to care for each other, respect each other. There should be jobs for all
and more encouragement to soar. I want
the best for South Africa and I do not think that my wish is unrealistic. The New Apartheid must go. People do not need
jobs, they need dignity. Through having a job I can earn dignity.
Being denied the chance to work because of a skin
colour is an indictment to life itself.
Some days continue to be the most beautiful in the
world…
