By Simon Nare
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has fiercely defended Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) and vowed that government will not retreat from transformation policies, warning that doing so would be tantamount to “handing the country’s wealth back into white hands.”
Answering questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday, Mashatile dismissed claims that empowerment policies deter investment and job creation.
He said such narratives were designed to block progress for the previously marginalised.
“You are basically saying we must go back to apartheid, leave the economy in the hands of whites, and that’s how this country must work. It will never be allowed. Black people must be empowered by these policies,” Mashatile said.
He argued that B-BBEE has proven effective, with more black-owned companies operating successfully in mining and other sectors.
These gains, he said, were the “fruits of progressive policies” that government must continue to pursue.
Mashatile stressed that unemployment was not caused by empowerment policies but by global economic conditions.
“Unemployment is not only a problem of South Africa. When the global economy is not doing well, it affects us here. But I will never agree with anyone who says black people don’t need to be empowered,” he said.
Having spent more than 40 years fighting apartheid, Mashatile insisted government’s commitment to transformation was not about racism but about ensuring both black and white South Africans shared in the country’s wealth.
On unemployment, particularly among youth, he cited several government initiatives such as the Expanded Public Works Programme, Public Employment Programmes, and Community Work Programmes.
He said these provide temporary work and income support, especially in infrastructure, environment, and social services.
He also outlined the role of the Human Resource Development Council, which he leads, as a platform where government, business, labour, and civil society collaborate to address youth unemployment through the National Skills Development Plan and National Skills Fund.
Mashatile pointed to new initiatives launched in August 2025 at Gallagher Convention Centre, including the Jet Skills Desk, National Jet Skills Advisory Forum, and Multi-Donor Initiative, aimed at driving a demand-led skills agenda, particularly for disadvantaged groups in the green economy.
“As government we are committed to moving from fragmented responses to an integrated national programme that combines skills development, economic opportunity, workplace experience, entrepreneurship support, and civic education to foster resilience and adaptability,” he said.
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