SA's transformation laws can't be changed because other parties disagree - Mashatile

CAPE TOWN - Deputy President Paul Mashatile said that the country’s transformation laws must be implemented and can’t be changed because some parties disagree.

Mashatile said that changes to the laws that were passed by both houses of Parliament had to go through the same process.

On Thursday afternoon, Mashatile responded to questions in the National Council of Provinces on a range of issues, including transformation and threats to social cohesion.

Mashatile was asked whether he had considered implementing measures to ensure that the emerging attacks on the country’s transformation agenda would not lead to further regression of social cohesion.

Some of the transformation laws in question include Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and other redress policies like the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which are being opposed by the Democratic Alliance (DA).

But Mashatile said that the laws weren’t about to change.

"There are those who seek to undermine transformative pieces of legislation that have been passed, particularly by the previous administration. But the government is quite resolute that those laws that were passed by the previous administration must be implemented."

He said that if any party wanted to make changes to the existing laws, they must go to the Cabinet before going back to Parliament.