Zille shows the way

[mahnmut]

According to a recent research made by the Wits Business School, which is associated to my university, women in executive management positions within the private sector make up about 25%. This means that if you had to appoint a 10 member panel on that level by merit, 2 or 3 would likely be women. The statistical likelihood that the panel would consist of all males, if selected at random from the appropriate pool of talent, is about 17%. It is therefore a significant possibility.

Also keep in mind that due to black economic empowerment (BEE) legislation there is an over-supply of competent white males on the market. This means that if you were to make appointments on merit only, without consideration for BEE policy, the likelihood of an all-male group increases substantially.

Some may argue that the 25% women executives is inappropriate to start with, but the reality is that many women choose to forego career advancement in order to take care of their families. Therefore it's unnatural to expect equality on such high levels

The real reason ANC and the labour federation COSATU has a problem with Helen Zille’s cabinet in the Western Cape is that they are fundamentally opposed to the idea of merit.

BEE is working out very well for the ANC elite, despite the damage it is doing to the country, and COSATU needs to prevent its members from actually excelling on the job, as that would undermine "equality" and with it, their influence over the workforce. So I'm all for Zille in this case, and I hope she'll show them what a good government can be.

Comments

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Please do! You made me curious.

[ghoststrider.livejournal.com]

While I understand the feelings and emotions behind affirmative action legislation, in the end it is nothing more than government-sponsored racism, and unnecessarily disrupts the economy. Should businesses hire everyone of all genders and skin tones? Absolutely--that's just a smart business practice, and those that don't will get boycotted by those who believe having inclusiveness is important.

Many people like to say "Well, but we're using these laws to compensate for past racism and (in this case) apartheid," but does two wrongs make a right? No, they don't. I for one will never agree with AA or BEE legislation.

However, I'm all for someone replacing those ANC dopes. One-party rule is never okay. (Just please don't let it be the Communists.)

[ghoststrider.livejournal.com]

Philosophically, I don't mind if people hire based on decisions other than experience, education, and "work ethic," because I believe in the right to free and voluntary association. However, in reality, I think its rather dumb, and you can associate with people outside the workplace. It would make more sense for nonprofit groups than businesses (and I would definitely make it illegal for governments and public corporations owned or partially controlled by governments.)

Affirmative action is really backwards and is doomed to failure. The only way to really fix these problems is with education, and here is where I depart from the Libertarian Express on terms of pragmatism: education must be available to all to allow a capitalist--or at least free market--system to function properly, so that we don't have idiots drinking the pig-swill that's being distilled by such self-righteous morons like Paul Krugman. Until then, we'll never get it to work right.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

I don't think the main rationale behind affirmative action (or black economic empowerment as it's called here) is a compensation for past things. It's rather the involvement of blacks into the economy. There's a lot of work to be done yet.

[ghoststrider.livejournal.com]

But as strbjun says above, that really won't work either. It's a dumb policy either way.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

I know. Tell this to those who invented it.

bigger picture

[fischlehrer.livejournal.com]

To me, programs like Affirmative action and stats like this "women in executive management positions within the private sector make up about 25%" miss the big picture.

Saying, wow, blacks and woman are not represented in the old school hierarchical corporate power corridors of big business, let's give them a leg up so they can make the same mistakes and emulate the failures of the white male hierarchical paternalistic business model is missing the bigger point. By NOT creating artificial entry points for women and blacks into the ranks of the white male power elite, it forces us into alternative business models. LIke small business where women and blacks tend to thrive. AND by not creating AfirmAct and such hard work and creativity gets rewarded, instead of teaching people to get ahead on artificial superficial endowments. (I have ovaries so I get to step ahead in line of a man? How does this make sense?)

AA is a mistake in my book. So is allowing large multinational corporations to exist. Antitrust is a better solution to racism and sexism in my book. Just saying.