Ramaphosa downplays DA's proposal on BEE, says policy applies 'without any dilution'

President Cyril Ramaphosa has downplayed the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s proposal to subvert the country’s controversial BEE policy, doubling down on what he says is government’s transformation agenda.

This follows the DA's repeated calls, including Monday’s proposal, to scrap broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) and replace it with an economic empowerment bill.

The party said this would remove race as a determining factor, replacing it with a needs-based approach. 

The BEE Act was introduced in 2003 as a redress policy to deal with the racial economic inequalities caused by apartheid. 

The BEE policy has, for some tim,e been a bone of contention between the DA and its larger partner in the Government of National Unity (GNU).

In his capacity as African National Congress (ANC) president, Ramaphosa gave an untroubled response to the DA's announcement, while speaking during a visit to the Soshanguve home of Tlou Cholo, who was conferred the Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe Award, on his 100th birthday on Monday night.

"I have not yet seen their proposals. Currently, we have a BEE policy that is rooted and underpinned by our Constitution, so if anyone wants an amendment to the BEE Act, they must table their proposals and they must be taken for discussion in Parliament. At the moment, BEE policies, legislation and regulation apply, without any dilution whatsoever."