DA's Zille: Employment should be based on skill and merit, not race or political connections

Alpha Ramushwana

Alpha Ramushwana

5 May 2025 | 13:01

She made these comments while outlining the DA's opposition to the Employment Equity Amendment Act, which the party argues is counterproductive to transformation.

JOHANNESBURG - Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, said that employment should be based on skill and merit, rather than race, gender or disability status.

She made these comments while outlining the DA's opposition to the Employment Equity Amendment Act, which the party argues is counterproductive to transformation.

The legislation aims to eliminate workplace discrimination and promote economic participation to historically disadvantaged groups.

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The DA's legal challenge against the act will be heard in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.

The DA is strongly opposing section 15(A) of the Employment Equity Amendment Act, which introduces numerical targets across 18 economic sectors.

This provision requires employers with more than 50 employees to ensure their workforce reflects historically disadvantaged groups, such as black people, women, and people living with disabilities.

Zille argued that the legislation was anti-transformative.

"We don't want have a country that continues to define everybody by their race and other biological attributes that they don't have control over and make sure that everyone understands that their ability, opportunity and their work ethic is what is going to get them to the top, not their race and not their political connections."

Government plans to enforce strict penalties on businesses that fail to comply with the set targets.

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