Equity regulations 'Group Areas Act'

THE Collective for Democracy, a grouping of opposition parties, has accused the ANC of bringing back the Group Areas Act via the proposed employment equity regulations published for public comment last month.

The collective – which includes COPE, the FFP, IFP and United Christian Democratic Party – accused it of disregarding the constitution.

The regulations state that companies with 150 or more employees will have to use the national demographic profile as a guide for their targets for top and senior management and professionals. For companies with 149 or fewer employees, they will have to use national demographics for top and senior management.

They have attracted wide criticism. COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota said: "If you are going to say people of a particular racial group can only be employed in a region or province where they live, and the rest must go out of that province and look for jobs, that's the Group Areas Act." - Aphiwe Deklerk