Does so-called Affirmative Action in South Africa discriminate against whites?

Question

This is a straightforward question.

haggisba - that's a really forgiving, conciliatory attitude

Den P - yup. That's the theory. The reality seems to be different, though.

Anria A - well reasoned answer. The literature that I've been reading tells a bleaker story, though.
Your view gives me a different perspective.

Vango - don't be saying that about the ANC, someone's going to call you an apartheid lover.

robsnor - yup. That's the way it's going to be.

Joyce F - you just laid out a modern version of Hitlers's discriminatory and racist Nuremberg laws - but they're good for you, because you're second in line for a handout, so of course you have no problem with them.
Affirmative Action laws here in the States, that benefit only a small minority, have wreaked untold havoc in terms of resentment and lowered work standards.
I fear to imagine the damage those and the equally racist BEE laws will do to what used to be South Africa.

Can you, or anyone else of your ilk, explain to me, or any other objective, intelligent person, how applying blatantly racist laws to a completely innocent new generation, for discrimination practised by their fathers and mothers, is a sane thing to do.

It is the very essence of racism to apply laws against any specific group, in favor of another group, merely because of the color of their skins.
Calling it Affirmative Action merely puts a respectful face on it.

P.S. - that last line of yours - "What you sow you shall reap, and so shall your children" ie: assigning historical guilt on the basis of race or ethnicity - is very reminiscent of the backward, racist mindset that gave birth to anti-Semitism by assigning all Jews blame for the death of Christ.
Ask Adolf.

dWali - I feel bad for you, I really do. As a white Afrikaner male you have no choice but to submit to this racist, sexist, poision doctrine.
I mean where else are you going to go? Into the Indian ocean?

'It is only illegal to discriminate unfairly'.
Can one discriminate fairly?

And don't for one second be under any illusions that this so-called Affirmative Action is a 'quick fix'. It's there to stay.
Once people get used to a crutch, they'll fight to their last breath to hold onto it

moya - sweetheart, you're a white woman, right? But according to certain other South Africans - who will go to any length to excuse the violent, Marxist ANC government - you're supposed to be second in line for a handout.
What happened?

saffaboy - your writing is unclear, but your point is clear as day.

gem - my family does.

Answer 1

yes.

Answer 2

I am a 25 yr old white South African female. I grew up in the so called new South Africa. I love my country. I do feel a bit discriminated against because I am being punished for what white people did in the past. I have been turned down for a job before because I am white. I am happy about apartheid being over and all having equal opportunities but it is to some extent unfair on us who are not guilty of apartheid.

Answer 3

I don't exactly agree with Anria A, she makes it sound like its on the way to the better. It is not true that more people are getting chosen on merit....and what do you mean that the white people in the past did not have high qualifications if those exact people are leaving SA for better international jobs.....Apartheid was a really bad era and it should not be repeated nor should it be switched and if Afirmative Action carries on it will be like the Aparheid but this time the white people will be on the wrong end...
They should make everyone equal and ONLY choose on qualifications, there are many white people, black people, indian people etc with high qualifications and those should be the ones with the jobs, and affirmative action should be overlooked. The education in SA is getting lower and lower and the passing marks are decreasing.
In 1994, the people wanted freedom and equality.....so why can't we stick with that.....
and also, the generation of white people who are now studying had nothing to do with apartheid, because they were too young to even understand it, so, yes, apartheid was bad and the people that started weren't to good either....but people must stop looking at the white people of SA and judge them.

Take care
:-)
Me

Answer 4

Affirmative Action in any form is discriminatory. This discrimination is worst against white males. There is however NO LAW that says one may not discriminate. It is only illegal to discriminate unfairly.

The ILO (Inetrnational Labour Organisation) has given its blessing to the way AA is being implemented in Sa, and feels that it should even be speeded up.

I dislike AA, but do not know of a better quick fix for inequities created in the past.

Answer 5

It sure discriminates against me and I was born in the 80's , so what I had to do with apartheid remains a mystery to me. Also, I think a boundary should put in place so that blacks who have completed their schooling from Gr 1 to Gr 12 in the last 12 years can't moan that they were not given the same opportunities as whites. Sometimes I wonder what parallel universe some South Africans wonder on (I'm referring to a certain statement that Affirmative action is slowly being moved out- it isn't).
My ten cents.

Answer 6

Affirmative action is a knee jerk reaction after apartheid, and it did discriminate for the first few years after the idea was started, but soon so many inexperienced people where employed, simply because of the color of their skin, that many work places where left with slow work forces and employees sitting around not knowing what to do.
People have started to learn from that mistake, and are employing more and more people on merit, not on race.
But also, in the last 10years a whole new generation of proper university (and not bush college) educated black people have emerged as well, so many who are employed are qualified for the job.
Likewise, many white South Africans had no tertiary education, because in apartheid you got a job simply for being white, and now they struggle to understand why they have trouble finding work.
I use my parents as an example. My mother only ever finished High school, during apartheid there where many office and PA jobs available, but these days an employer would rather have someone who's been to college, and she struggles to find work.
My father does have a tertiary education, and even in the height of affirmative action, changed jobs, and had no trouble finding another job.
Affirmative action is slowly starting to fizzle out, and more and more people are being employed based on experience.

Answer 7

Anria is correct. It is fizzling out and will with time.

However, please note that it is necessary to have this in place to rectify over 40 years of white male preferance in the work-place - you automatically had a job if you were white and male irrespective of intelligence or training or education, while non-whites could not even get a job even if they were qualified for it. Affirmative Action is not unique to SA, it is practiced internationally also in the USA - just called minority preference here. And for interest: this is how affirmative action works in SA:
If all these applicants have the same qualifications and experience, the job will go as follows to the person:
1. black female
2. white female (women were discriminated against as well in Apartheid and now qualifies, irrespective of race for affirmative action)
3. black male
4. white male

Why white people in SA are so up and arms about this is just mindboggling - they did it to the majority (and black children who are now adults - and who were once an innocent new generation as well) for so many years, what makes them so special now? What you sow you shall reap, and so will your children.

Answer 8

Yes, the assholes of the past practised apartheid, the assholes of the present practise affirmative action and other forms of bad government. No wonder more than one million, mostly highly qualified people, left SA over the last 10 years. I love my country and wish I could go back every minute of every day, were it not for our racist and weak government. Greetings from the Orient.

Answer 9

to be honest,its got nothing to do with revenge or racisisim. its all about money.just like apartied was. the boers who were a small group of people who came over from overseas were trying to look for a new life in south africa,one where they could be rich.and in order to do that they had to rule out competition (apartied), its the same with affirmitive action. its all about money and the evel ways in wich people will do things to get it.
to be honest thou i agree with your statement thou, mr as a south african i fell it is unfair on white people. its been 10 years already.

Answer 10

Yes it does. I agree that it was the other way around during "apartheid" but must our kids and all future generations be punished for mistakes of the past.

Answer 11

yes because whites with the right qualifications will have a less chance of getting a job, which is really unfair for people who have spent their time studying and have a 25% chance only because of their colour(and i am not white i am a coloured)