If nothing is done to reduce inequality gap, violence and crime will get worse
Dis-Chem moratorium on employment of white managers absolutely right decision
Ivan Saltzman’s bravery has been lost amid the noise of an anti-transformation assault. I am not sure what motivated Saltzman when he declared a moratorium on the employment of white managers. Was it Dis-Chem falling behind on its transformation targets and his concern about the possibility of hefty penalties?
If this is the case, then we must ask why Dis-Chem is only now playing catch-up. Or was it a sincere heartfelt belief that transformation is critical to the sustainable survival of this country?
Either way, Saltzman made a brave call, and deserves our support. It’s just a great pity his board felt the heat and succumbed to the pressure.
Why was Saltzman’s call the right one? I am a business culture and race relations consultant to several companies, so witness the controversial dynamics around the issue of BEE in SA. Many white business leaders have committed to transformation purely because they need to be compliant with the law. It becomes a tick-box exercise, and it provides additional business opportunities.
In their hearts, they feel that BEE is reverse racism, but have no choice but to comply. On the other hand, a few genuinely believe BEE is not reverse racism. They understand it is the only way to redress one of the most inhumane and unjust systems in living memory.
While there is a big focus on developing black talent for future leadership roles, and rightly so, corporates have not sufficiently focused on those ageing white managers who now have to make way. These managers are caught in a whirlpool of anxiety as they contemplate uncertain futures. They need support.
They need to understand why it’s so important to make way. They need assistance and support to prepare themselves for a different future. They need to commit to mentoring and developing their black successors, not because they are being forced to, but because they know it’s the right thing to do. They could also perhaps be transferred, in a part-time capacity, to government institutions where they can share their skills and experience.
The SA of tomorrow is going to be a very different place and, unless we embrace that new reality, we will never witness a prosperous and sustainable country that offers opportunities to all its people, not just the privileged few. We are officially the most unequal society in the world. The multitudes of have-nots are tired of poverty and despair. If nothing is done to reduce the inequality gap, unemployment, poverty ... violence and crime will just get increasingly worse.
The uprisings and lootings of 2021 will become commonplace and SA will literally go up in smoke. It is critical that white business leaders come to terms with our future reality. BEE is not a numbers game. It is a business imperative and the only way to break out of the overwhelming hopelessness of the majority.
A popular phrase among white South Africans is “Why can’t we just put the past behind us and move forward?” Easy to say when you are the beneficiary of that past. Hoping the past will rectify itself is naïve at best and irresponsible at worst. We will never be able to move forward until we understand how we got into this mess in the first place.
Saltzman’s decision was absolutely the right one. The memorandum could perhaps have been couched differently and a process of explanation would have been beneficial, especially to those affected white managers.
The actions of those who so vehemently opposed the decision are blocking the road towards redressing the glaring imbalances in our society and paving the way for a lawless and ungovernable country. The status quo in terms of BEE is not coming close to a meaningful reversal of the inequality gap. The government has failed miserably to create a more equal and balanced society.
It squandered the massive opportunity in 1994 to redress the huge imbalances of our past. “A better life for all” has turned out to be “A better life for a few family members, friends and cadres” with unbridled greed and corruption. So, it remains for business to make a difference. Its leaders must transform their mindsets as they embrace the new future of our country.