The new Broad-Based Economic Empowerment Act sets up a Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council funded by the DTI and chaired by President Mbeki, to advise government and assess progress with transformation charters and other measures. The Act moves away from 'historically disadvantaged' to 'black', defined as African, Coloured and Indian. This excludes White women and could lead to exclusion of other categories in future. Free Market Foundation's Leon Louw says the current deluge of new controls and stifling regulations completely smothers any prospect of broad-based economic empowerment. The Freedom Front Plus wants government to announce a cut-off for the undisguised racial discrimination of affirmative action. Labour department's Snuki Zikalala responds that the process will only be reviewed once government is satisfied that all racial imbalances have been addressed and SA is fully transformed. (Cit 7.1, BT 11.1)
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