By Elizma Nolte
COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota has accused the government of applying BEE and affirmative-action policies in such a way it results in reverse racism that equates to old-style apartheid policies.
Addressing South African businessmen in London, Lekota said while he supported affirmative action in principle, appointments should be made on the basis of qualifications for a position.
"I do not subscribe to the idea that public funds can be taken, that a programme to benefit citizens can be set up and then be said to benefit a particular section of the population. It's rubbish," he said.
"BJ Vorster would take public funds, build a university and say it's for whites only. What would be the difference between us and him if we take public funds, create a programme and say this programme is only for the black poor, but the white poor may not benefit from this programme? I can't subscribe to nonsense like that... We cannot say we are fighting for a non-racial society and then practise that discrimination," Lekota said to loud applause from the mostly white audience.
"You find people in government will say we will not appoint a white person in this post, because it is an affirmative-action post, which means we will wait until a black person is qualified to fill this post.
"That's what the old order used to call job reservation - you reserve a certain post for a particular racial group." - Independent Foreign Service