Economy can’t run on race

At the weekend public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan said: “Eskom and Transnet went from being globally revered award-winning entities to [the] brink of financial, operational and governance ruin. This was achieved by driving out capable and honest people and replacing them with politically embedded people who facilitate state capture”.

What he missed out was white people. Because if we are honest this is what he and his government did. They crudely said, and still do, that if 90% of the population is black then businesses and organisations must reflect that ratio across the board.

There is a dire shortage of black people with the required skills. We all wish it wasn’t, but we can’t deny it. Meanwhile, skilled whites work overseas, and the children of successful white people in SA are emigrating, as they realise that with ANC policies there is no future for them here.

You cannot run a modern economy based on race — it must be based on skill and competitiveness. Reserving jobs for one race is like having benches on the beach saying “whites only”.

Nothing will change at Eskom or Transnet if those policies don’t change. Fixing things would require relying on the white skill set. But why would white people want to work in an organisation that treats them like second-class citizens?

Eskom and Transnet need to fire useless people, but Gordhan and his government will not allow it. The ANC doesn’t believe people need to be productive. Privatisation is the only answer, as that sector has retained the skills and flexibility.

Rob Tiffin

Cape Town