Employment should be based on merit

WORLDWIDE, race and racism garner increasing attention.

Besides the racial prejudices lurking in all population groups, the accusation of racism seems to be particularly focused on whites. However, racial outbursts from whites need to be considered within the context of the structures and strictures within which white people find themselves today.

The architect of our social and economic structures is the ANC. By practising demographic representivity, which is not what sections 9, 195 and 217 of the constitution advocate, the ANC has prioritised demographic, cadre deployment at all levels of government, state-owned enterprises and through BEE. Besides re-racialising employment, promotion and procurement, despite claims of non-racialism, the ANC government, wittingly or unwittingly, has legitimised the outcomes of incompetence and kleptocracy.

RW Johnson observed in his book How Long Can South Africa Survive?

(2nd edition, p 241), that dealing with so-called officials in many cases requires the pretence that they are proficient in their jobs when the opposite is apparent. Such experiences are fuelling racist outlooks and comments.

There can be few who have not felt frustration and resentment at having to deal with the incompetence of someone whose position was acquired purely through political connections and racial demography.

While there are certainly those within government structures who are competent and whose role is sincerely appreciated, the image of government as a whole is negative. And therein, unfortunately, lies a great deal of the provocation and derivation of racist mindsets.

To improve the proficiency of the government and consequently minimise racial outbursts, merit should be the criterion in all employment. As the 2019 election approaches, only the Freedom Front Plus proclaims merit as one of its key principles.

DR DUNCAN DU BOIS Bluff, Durban