Affirmative Action in South Africa

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Whilst reading through the given affirmative action articles and understanding what affirmative action entails, the formed argument I have come to, about affirmative action was; that I do agree with the principle of affirmative action and think that affirmative action should be implemented in our society. Affirmative action was and is still to this day a way forward for people who have been less fortunate during times of Apartheid to regain strength and given the opportunities to be able to go ahead with life. However, to what degree should affirmative action still be so prominent when it has been almost sixteen years that South Africa has become a democracy, as well as whether affirmative action is now being abused by those who have had the privilege to gain from it. I agree with the idea of affirmative action but will have to disagree with the way in which it is being conducted and used here in South Africa. Affirmative action was enforced and legislated in 1994 to bring about equity, redress the past and lay the foundation for a future non-racial, non-sexist and equitable South African society (2005, Makgoba) affirmative action was to help and benefit all, making sure that people who were unable to make a change and become successful in business opportunities could now do so, as the walls of apartheid had been broken down. ¬Many people, who had been in exile overseas in places like the United Kingdom, came back to South Africa and with the education they had received abroad, began to open up companies or take over CEO positions (Johnson, 2009) What we begin to see is many aspirants from the ANC party begin to move up the corporate ladder. The principles of affirmative action had been place and thus far began to help many grow confidence in the ability to run these companies and head them towards financial success. Companies and organisations such as Telkom and
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