Employment equity shows progress in top positions in South Africa

South Africa saw some signs of improvement made in the top employment equity in a decade, the Employment Equity Commission (EEC) said on Thursday.The white people remained dominant in almost all top management posts in the workplace, but down from constituting 81.5 percent of the top positions in 2002 to 72.6 percent in 2012, said the new report by the EEC.The EEC was established in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act in 1997, aimed at advising Minister of Labor and Minister of Social Development on any matter concerning the social employment.The new report was submitted to Labor Minister Mildred Oliphant in Johannesburg on Thursday.The black people's condition improved with its proportion in top posts increasing from 10 percent in 2002 to 12.3 percent last year, while the colored people occupation in top posts rose from 3. 4 percent in 2002 to 4.6 percent in 2012, according to the report. The report showed that the number of the foreigners in the top management levels was up from zero in 2002 to 3.1 percent last year.However, the EEC was still unsatisfied with the survey result, believing the progress in the employment equity in a decade was too slow."It is unacceptable, it is not what you would expect, especially because we have a law," said Loyiso Mzisi Mbabane, the EEC chairman.In October 1998,the Employment Equity Act was enacted by the South African government to address the racially-skewed employment rates in the post-apartheid country.The act seeks to reach its target by implementing affirmative action measures to ensure the black people, women and people with disabilities have equitable representation in all occupational categories and levels in the workforce.The EEC believed that there is a long way to go for South Africa in achieving greater representation of black, women and people with disabilities in the employment equity, including top positions.The commission expected the government could urge the public sector and private companies across all sectors of the economy to put into effect the employment equity plan as soon as possible.The report was compiled by the EEC by using millions of employment equity reports from all economic sectors in the country.