Parliament, Wednesday, 14 May 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour has expressed concern with the slow progress achieved by employers across all sectors in implementing employment equity.
The committee was briefed on the Department of Employment and Labour’s progress report, which was based on 29 269 quality employment equity reports that passed the legal test for analysis, covering a workforce of 7 699 665 employees in the 2024 reporting period.
According to the committee, the report shows slow progress on transformation at the top management level across all employers nationally. Whites still constitute 61.1%, followed by Africans at 18%, Indians at 11.9% and Coloureds at 6.2%. Foreign nationals constitute 2.8%.
Transformation appears to be more stagnant in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State, where the percentage of Whites at the top management level is 56%, 54% and 54% respectively.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Boyce Maneli, said that the report vindicates the committee’s long-held view that voluntary compliance with employment equity provisions has not worked. However, the committee is comforted that section 15A of the Employment Equity Amendment Act 4 of 2022 seeks to enforce compliance in line with the Constitution and international conventions.
Mr Maneli said further said that the employment of foreign nationals needs to be addressed within the framework of the law, while awaiting the National Labour Migration Policy and the Employment Services Amendment Bill.
“With the highest number of unemployment, jobs at semi-skilled and unskilled levels must be given to South Africans, especially those who are registered on the unemployment database of the department. Where foreign nationals are employed in terms of scares skill, a skills transfer plan must be demonstrated,” said Mr Maneli.
The committee will engage with the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs and the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition on the employment of foreign national in a joint meeting.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENT COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR, MR BOYCE MANELI.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Mr Justice Molafo
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Email: jmolafo@parliament.gov.za
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