Black people aren't benefiting from BEE

When the ANC-led government introduced BEE a few years ago, it had good intentions. The idea was to deracialise the economy and empower blacks, who have been — and still are—disempowered economically for a long time. Introducing BEE was the right move.

The second most powerful political party in the land, DA, is opposed to BEE in its current form. It has made a proposition that the black empowerment policy be reconstructed. The DA says it's not opposed to BEE, it just needs tweaking. Nice words.

That said, let's take the DA out of the BEE debate. Is BEE benefiting blacks, including women? Who is benefiting from BEE? Is it blacks? The answer is no. It is mostly the politically connected individuals that benefit from this policy.

So, it is not benefiting the broader black society. When you look at the people who are defending BEE, it is the beneficiaries of this policy: The black fat cats. I understand why they are defending it, they stand to lose big time. However, the truth is that this policy is not benefiting the majority of blacks, only a select few.

On the other hand, BEE is benefiting whites, who are using blacks as a front. They put the names of blacks in the company papers or letterheads and pay them peanuts.

Poor blacks think they are paid big money, yet, unknowingly, they deserve better. No one is talking about that.Lastly, I'm concerned that the majority of people in this country are not participating in this important debate.

Yet it is about them. They are allowing black fat cats to be their voice yet they are serving their own interests. Scrap BEE, it does not benefit blacks.

Thabile Mange, Kagiso