Pretoria - The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act Amendment Bill is "a step in the wrong direction", Afriforum said on Wednesday.
Its lawyers were studying the proposed amendments and
the organisation would be submitting comments, Afriforum deputy director
Ernst Roets said.
The bill was recently published in the Government Gazette for public comment.
Companies found guilty of "fronting" could be fined
between two and 10 percent of their turnover if the draft legislation
becomes law.
The amendment bill defines black people as "Africans,
Coloureds and Indians who are citizens of the Republic of South Africa
by birth or descent, or who became citizens of the Republic of South
Africa by naturalisation".
The New Age newspaper on Tuesday quoted BEE specialist
Andile Tlhoaele as saying that if the legislation became law, white
women would no longer benefit from BEE policies.
Nor would white disabled people qualify.
"The further away we move from 1994, the more aggressive the legislation becomes," said Roets.
He said BEE legislation dealt only with "outcomes", and not "inputs" such as education.
"There is a lack of emphasis on education and training, which would address inequalities," he said.