New polling vindicates IRR position on merit

New polling released by the Social Research Foundation (SRF) vindicates research conducted by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR), which emphasises merit over race in job appointments.

Results of SRF polling released this month show that most South Africans, of all races, believe that government appointments should be based on merit, not race. Polling also shows that most South Africans think that businesses should be free to operate without the straitjacket of racial diktats, as long as they pay tax and create employment.

Says IRR analyst Marius Roodt: “These findings match the results of IRR polling, which has been conducted regularly over many years. Our polling, going back to the turn of the century, shows that the majority of South Africans are not as race-obsessed as some politicians would have us believe and that we get on pretty well.

“These findings also suggest that perhaps it’s time to re-examine policies such as black economic empowerment (BEE), which have done little to lift poor black people out of poverty, and likely have little popular support,” says Roodt.

“The government of national unity (GNU) needs to abandon policies which have not worked. With regard to BEE, the GNU should consider the IRR’s Economic Empowerment for the Disadvantaged (EED) proposal, which is a system of empowerment based on actual need rather than on skin colour. This policy would help people on the basis of actual disadvantage, with the vast majority of beneficiaries still being poor black South Africans.”

Roodt concludes: “The IRR is about to conduct a new round of polling and it is very likely that the findings will reflect the SRF’s recent findings, as well as confirming the IRR’s previous findings. Race-based policies have simply not worked in this country and they are not popular with the public. The GNU needs to look at other ways of combating poverty.”

Media contacts: Marius Roodt Tel: 082 779 7035 Email: marius@irr.org.za

Makone Maja, IRR Campaign Manager Tel: 079 418 6676 Email: makone@irr.org.za 

Media enquiries: Michael Morris Tel: 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za