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Affirmative action is dangerous - institute

Johannesburg - SA needs to wake up to the serious consequences affirmative action could bring about, the Institute for Race Relations (IRR) said on Wednesday.

The appointment of unqualified people, along with failure to fill key posts when the only available candidates are white, are some of the reasons for this, said the IRR in its latest @Liberty policy bulletin.

"This does not mean that all those appointed on grounds of race or political allegiance are unqualified. But a great many are. Given the skills deficit caused by Bantu education, it could hardly be otherwise," said the IRR.

Official data on wastewater management at municipal level show that very large numbers of people are potentially at risk, according to the IRR.

Citing government data, the IRR said, although the proportion of households with access to sanitation has been rising steadily, more than four million households have to make do with "substandard toilet facilities".

A great many municipalities, particularly in rural areas, are also not emptying latrines.

The IRR quoted the former minister of water affairs, Edna Molewa, as having said that "there have been terrible weaknesses, especially at the municipal level, in terms of maintenance".

Affirmative action has become part of what the IRR calls a "toxic mix" in SA of corruption, nepotism, incompetence and lack of accountability.

"The government has said that "race will remain an issue until all echelons of our society are demographically representative," said the IRR.

"However, given the country's human needs and its skills profile, this can only have dire consequences."
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