Are white South Africans being discriminated against by the country’s corporations? Is BEE reverse racism?
These were the questions being debated on Twitter following the sharing of a picture of Dischem’s leaked internal memo, which announced a temporary prohibition on the appointment of white individuals in the organisation.
Reiner Duvenage, AfriForum’s campaign officer for strategy and content, posted on Twitter, accusing “big” corporations like South African pharmacy chain Dischem and the government of discriminating against him based on the colour of his skin.
Despite the company making some headway, it is clear the efforts to effect transformation in terms of employee profile remain insufficient, reads the letter written by Dischem chief executive Ivan Saltzman.
“Remember, we are growing at a fast rate, and a few appointments other than white don't cut it. It's the ratio between white and black that counts.
“So, when no suitable black candidate is found, and a white is appointed, we need several blacks just to maintain the status quo, never mind moving forward,” wrote Saltzman.
Hi my name is Reiner. I was born in 1996. I am being discriminated against by big corporations and the government on the basis of my skin colour. @Dischem pic.twitter.com/hns4xnBoN4
— Reiner Duvenage (@reiner_duvenage) October 14, 2022
The tweet further ignited the debate around BEE, race in the workplace, racism and white privilege.
“Your name might be Renier, and you were probably born in 1996, everything after that you got wrong. Some people are getting a helping hand based on their skin colour to level an unequal playing field skewed in your favour. Removing some of your advantage is not discrimination,” commented a Twitter user.
Activist writer Lunga Mahlangu said the issue of racism goes deeper and is about genetic survival.
“Although they wield enormous political, economic, military, and social power, white people are a minority race that is facing the real threat of extinction. Africans must understand that white people are concerned mainly with self-preservation,” said Mahlangu.
“Everything else is a smokescreen to keep everyone distracted while they continue ripping off the benefits of the status quo. Everything else is noise. No one is discriminating against white South Africans. There is no reverse racism. But there is a push and resistance against any efforts to try and level the playing field.”
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