The Department of Employment and Labour will amend and enact changes around South Africa’s employment equity regulations to address issues around equal opportunities and inclusion.<\/p>\n
Presenting the department’s annual strategic plan to parliament on Thursday (7 May), employment and labour director-general Thobile Lamati said that includes a push for further transformation changes at senior levels across South African businesses.<\/p>\n
Citing the government’s 2018-2019 Employment Equity report, Lamati said that black Africans currently constitute 23.2% and 40.2% at the senior and middle management levels as reported by designated employers.<\/p>\n
He said government will now push for at least a 2% annual increase in the representation of black Africans in senior and middle-manager levels.<\/p>\n
He added that the Department of Labour plans to set sector targets to bring this to at least 50% within the next five years (2024).<\/p>\n
Lamati said that the department also plans to amend the existing Employment Equity Act to help it meet these transformation targets within the same time frame.<\/p>\n
In July 2019, Labour minister Thulas Nxesi announced a planned amendment bill which will regulate the setting of sector-specific employment targets\u00a0to address the gross under-representation of blacks, women and persons with disabilities.<\/p>\n
It will also ensure that an employment equity certificate of compliance becomes a precondition for access to state contracts.<\/p>\n
A draft version of the bill\u00a0published<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>at the end of 2018 indicated that the changes being were made to speed up transformation in the country.<\/p>\n