Court to hear AA test case

[CyraxHB]

Johannesburg - The most important test case yet for affirmative action will soon start in the labour court.

According to court documents, the government's emphasis on racially representative employees has resulted in the South African Police Services (Saps) opting to leave positions for senior forensic scientists vacant rather than appointing white scientists.

The case has been dragging on since November 2004 when the applications for promotion of four scientists - Majors Lionel de de Jager, Corlett van Ham, Hannes Geustyn and H Ueckermann - were turned down because they were white.

Preparations for the complicated case have now been completed and they are only waiting for a court date. The trial will last about five days.

Two of the scientists, Ueckermann and Van Ham, are women, and according to the Employment Equity Act, also entitled to preferential treatment.

Van Ham was also declared partially disabled due to asthma, which made her even more entitled to preferential treatment.

Ueckermann, a forensic analyst with ten years' experience and an MSc degree, recently emigrated and withdrew from the case.

De Jager had an MSc degree and twelve years' experience in physical and chemical analysis. Van Ham has a BSc Honours degree with seven years' experience as an analyst in forensic laboratories. Geustyn has a BTech degree.

Four senior positions for forensic analysts were advertised in September 2004 for the Saps' forensic laboratories, claim court documents.

All four applied. The only other applicants were an inspector Mowela and an inspector Mabala.

On November 9 2004, all four white applicants were informed that their applications were not successful as no white candidates were considered. Mowela and Mabala were promoted, but to positions for which they had not applied.

The skills level required for the positions is so rare that it would probably never be possible to fill them following demographic representation, said Solidarity deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann on Wednesday. He is involved in the case.

- Beeld

I wonder how long it will take for the guavament to see that AA is hurting the country.

 

[TonyHawk]

I wonder how long it will take for the guavament to see that AA is hurting the country.

Won't make a difference... all they see is Black
If they see White.. they think it's heavens white light.. and they're not ready to go cause they're having such a lekker time with corruption

 

[Nom Chompsky]

Banana Republics do not do what rational thinking people do. The ANC's sole goal is to enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else.

 

[Ady]

You hit the nail on the head there Chris

 

[semiautomatix]

I wonder how long it will take for the guavament to see that AA is hurting the country.

They claim that they understand the need for changing AA/BEE/BBBEE as the current system is up for abuse. But if it were so evident why do we have to wait till after the elections for these changes, pure politicking bs imho.

 

[DigitalSoldier]

According to court documents, the government's emphasis on racially representative employees has resulted in the South African Police Services (Saps) opting to leave positions for senior forensic scientists vacant rather than appointing white scientists.

At least we don't have a crime problem™(Mbeki), and I guess the SAPS already got all the help they need.