Cape Town – One of the largest retail pharmacy chains in South Africa, Dis-Chem, has received major backlash after a document, in which a moratorium was placed on the appointment of white people, was leaked over the weekend.
The document was a letter by Dis-Chem’s CEO, Ivan Saltzman who explained that after a recent review of the Employment Equity profile in the total organisation and the recent BBBEE verification process, the organisation’s efforts to effect transformation in terms of its employee profile remained inadequate.
“We are growing at a fast rate and a few appointments other than white don’t cut it. It’s the ratio between white and black that counts. So, when no suitable black candidate is found and a white is appointed, we need several blacks just to maintain the status quo, never mind moving forward.
“A moratorium is placed on the appointment of white individuals. This includes external and internal appointments,” Saltzman said.
The letter, dated September 19, also stated that no appointments at managerial level were to be made without the direct approval of the CEO.
“With Dis-chem being a JSE listed company, these are harsh measures and necessary if the company is to remain profitable and to avoid a potential fine of 10% of turnover which would cripple the business,” said Saltzman.
DA Shadow Minister of Employment and Labour, Dr Michael Cardo MP, said that the letter underscored the madness of the proposed employment equity amendments.
“The craven and desperate letter penned by Dischem CEO, Ivan Saltzman, in which he calls for a moratorium on the appointment of whites in his company, underscores the panic engendered by pending changes to employment equity (EE) legislation.
“It is against this backdrop that Saltzman’s letter must be understood. Businesses are in a tailspin at the thought of sacrificing 10 percent of their turnover on the altar of the ANC’s racial madness. Fines of this magnitude would bankrupt many firms,” ‘ Cardo said.
Meanwhile, people have taken to social media to condemn the decision made by Dis-Chem.
Dischem doesn’t see people: it only sees their race. This is outright horrific. Nearly 30 years after the end of Apartheid, and a private company reduces us to “blacks”, “whites”, and “other-than-blacks”. pic.twitter.com/9tUnYz0GSO
— Guerrilla Media ? (@Paratus2014) October 13, 2022
This #Dischem memo is demeaning in so many ways!
This proves that #woke leftists have no problem with “institutional racism”, so long as it does what they approve of!
This is actual institutionalised #racism, and it should have no place in a supposedly “non-racial” society. pic.twitter.com/vCtSpYtw0C
— Sihle Ngobese (@BigDaddyLiberty) October 15, 2022
As far as I am concerned, that letter by the CEO of Dischem was racial and devisive. Racial qoutus contributed to our current economic woes.
Hire South Africans on Merit, and focus on investment in training where you experience weaknesses. https://t.co/Qk9NrwfnlU— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) October 16, 2022
The #Dischem letter has elicited high emotions. Sadly this has resulted in blatant aggression towards Jewish South Africans. We condemn these vile comments in the strongest terms.
— SA Jewish Board (@SAJBD) October 16, 2022
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Picture: Facebook/Dis-Chem Pharmacies
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
