DA agrees to move away from “unsustainable” BEE policy

The DA has confirmed that it will no longer support Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy and will instead focus on a new broader approach to economic empowerment. According to the opposition party, BEE is just “simply not working.

DA BEE: How to find economic empowerment?

News24 confirmed with DA policy head Gwen Ngwenya that the party’s highest decision making body (DA Federal Executive) had taken the decision to abandon the policy in July.

In the past, the DA has backed BEE but has been openly vocal with criticism s that the policy only empowers black South Africans that have political connections. The DA has also said that it believes the way BEE was being implemented is simply not sustainable.

“There is a very real commitment to black empowerment, but we recognise that triple BEE has not worked,” said Ngwenya.

“Getting people into jobs, making sure they have the skills to earn a higher income when they are in the jobs – and therefore be able to put more of their income towards investment – that is the way to accumulate the kind of wealth that turns into intergenerational prosperity and BEE has not done that and will not do that,” Ngwenya told News24.

The party is still finalising its new “broad economic empowerment framework”.

DA BEE issues have caused party infighting before. When Helen Zille was party leader with Lindiwe Mazibuko leading the Parliamentary caucus, the two locked horns over the DA “falling to respond and interrogate the policy before supporting it.

With the 2019 elections edging closer, Ngwenya believes that this is the period when political parties “should be looking to review their offers to South Africans”.

On Friday, the DA celebrated it’s two year anniversary since taking over governance in Joburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay. While Jozi and Tshwane are holding firm in their coalitions, Mayor Thol Trollip looks to once again be on the verge of being ousted in Nelson Mandela Bay.