Mashatile rejected claims that B-BBEE fuels unemployment, arguing that global economic challenges are also to blame.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile says he spent decades fighting apartheid and will therefore not allow it to return.
Mashatile uttered these comments during a question-and-answer session before the National Council of Provinces on Thursday, when pressed about broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE).
Debate on B-BBEE and unemployment
Asked by DA MP Paul John Swart why the government persists with “job-killing policies” like B-BBEE while the unemployment rate remains at a high 33.2%, the deputy president said anyone who says the policy must be scrapped is insinuating that the country must return to apartheid.
“B-BBEE is not a failed policy. In fact, I think it must be implemented more rigorously. [It] deals with the empowerment of those who have been disadvantaged in the past,” Mashatile said.
“It is not correct that in a country where black people are probably 90% of the population, but 70% [of the economy] is controlled by others. It will never be allowed,” he added.
Mashatile said the policy is not to blame for the high unemployment rate, and that conditions of the current geopolitical situation have a role to play.
He added that unemployment is not a unique problem in South Africa, but rather a widespread issue that occurs when the global economy is not performing well.
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“So, we must look at this holistically, but I will not agree with anyone who says black people don’t need to be empowered.”
‘I am not going to allow apartheid to come back’
Mashatile took an even firmer stance when Freedom Front Plus MP Tamarin Breedt labelled B-BBEE as “racially based legislation”.
Breedt cautioned Mashatile against making “populist statements” by saying that doing away with racially based legislation would mean the return of apartheid.
She asked how the government can continue to claim that more of the same racial policies will solve the unemployment crisis, instead of pursuing merit-based systems that attract investment and benefit all South Africans.
“B-BBEE is not a racial policy. It’s transformative legislation,” Mashatile said.
“I spent more than 40 years of my life fighting apartheid. I’m not going to allow it to come back. Not in any form.
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“I am here where I am because I want to empower black people. They were oppressed. And today they don’t even control the economy.”
The deputy president said he doesn’t hate white people and has many white friends, but the wealth must be shared.
“We are not going to back off; otherwise, we shouldn’t be here. What are we doing here if we’re not going to empower those who were previously disadvantaged?”
Addressing youth unemployment
Addressing possible solutions to unemployment, especially among the youth, Mashatile said through the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), which he leads, the government is collaborating with social partners like businesses, the labour department, and civil society to respond to the scourge.
He said the HRDC is engaging various tertiary institutions to channel young people to courses where there is a high demand in the market to minimise the number of unemployed graduates.
“Our young people sometimes choose courses that when they graduate, those degrees or diplomas don’t give them access to immediate employment because there is a mismatch with the demand of the market,” Mashatile said.
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