{"id":94985,"date":"2026-01-06T17:53:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy"},"modified":"2026-01-06T18:01:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T18:01:55","slug":"minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy","title":{"rendered":"Minister Claims BEE Debate Promotes White Supremacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said anyone who opens a debate about black economic empowerment (BEE) promotes white supremacy.<\/p>\n

The minister shared his views on BEE and transformation during a recent discussion on Newzroom Afrika.<\/p>\n

Mantashe\u2019s attack on BEE opponents came as many political parties and companies have highlighted the policy\u2019s failure.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Democratic Alliance (DA) proposed a new Bill that could replace BEE with a system that aims to bolster economic growth and employment.<\/p>\n

The party argued that BEE has not fulfilled its mandate and has failed to uplift poor black South Africans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ANC\u2019s economic policies have left South Africans unemployed and poor. This is not the inclusive country that we envisioned building in 1994,\u201d the DA said.<\/p>\n

Investec CEO Fani Titi previously stated that South Africa requires a reformed empowerment framework that prioritises effectiveness, accountability, and broad-based economic growth.<\/p>\n

Titi argued that while it remains essential for economic inclusion, its impact has been weakened by corruption, inefficiency and slow growth.<\/p>\n

Solidarity Research Institute Connie Mulder has also said BEE policies have effectively resulted in tax money turning into Maseratis for well-connected individuals.<\/p>\n

Mulder said the pressure BEE finds itself under is primarily a result of the immense cost the policy framework places on the economy, with little benefit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did a simple report about what BEE costs the economy, and, on a very conservative level, it is about 3% of GDP per year. That is a massive cost we are paying for this policy,\u201d Mulder said.<\/p>\n

There is also growing public opposition to BEE among South Africans, as it has failed to lift poor black citizens out of poverty.<\/p>\n

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation said more than half of South Africans want BEE policies to be scrapped.<\/p>\n

The South African Reconciliation Barometer found that 54% of citizens agree that BEE rules should be phased out.<\/p>\n

It added that two-thirds of South Africans think that the use of racial categories does more harm than good.<\/p>\n

The ANC doubles down on BEE<\/b><\/p>\n

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri<\/p>\n

Despite the growing opposition to BEE, the ANC has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to these policies.<\/p>\n

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said there will not be a situation where BEE is abolished in South Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea of a future South Africa without transformation laws, starting with triple-BEE, is one that must be challenged by all democracy-loving people and patriots,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Mantashe sang from the same hymnbook, arguing that BEE has opened up the space for innovative black South Africans to be owners in the mining sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoal mining is 80% owned and managed by black South Africans. More than 50% of manganese mining is owned and managed by black people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that although platinum group metal mining is majority-owned by others, black South Africans manage this sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody who opens a debate about BEE today is promoting white supremacy,\u201d Mantashe said in the interview.<\/p>\n

He added that white dominated parties, like the Freedom Front Plus and the Democratic Alliance, hate black economic empowerment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey hate BEE because it is changing what they were built on. They are dependent on white capacity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said that black economic empowerment enabled black people to become owners, executives, and managers at South African companies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who promote white supremacy and regard blacks as inherently inferior hate black economic empowerment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

BEE is not pro-black and anti-white \u2013 IRR<\/b><\/p>\n

Free Market Foundation CEO David Ansara<\/p>\n

Institute of Race Relations (IRR) Fellow Gabriel Crouse argues that BEE will survive for as long as the idea persists that the policy is pro-black and anti-white.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at how BEE actually works, you will stop thinking that it\u2019s anti-white and pro-black. BEE will survive for as long as that message does not get out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen BEE is advertised as pro-black and anti-white, it will retain enough political relevance and political popularity to survive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It will survive despite having been so terribly damaging to people from all groups, directly and indirectly.<\/p>\n

Crouse said black economic empowerment cuts against everyone, not just because of second-order effects but directly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has already been used against people from every single group, so you will confront a clear and present danger to our rainbow republic,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said even people who realise the devastating effect of BEE continue to support it because they think they belong to one race group that is a special victim.<\/p>\n

He referenced the new employment equity targets, which require businesses to classify their staff based on their race.<\/p>\n

\u201cRefusing racial classification at work is a matter of being a South African who sees the system is stupid, counterproductive, and undignified,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Free Market Foundation CEO David Ansara said that BEE is one of South Africa\u2019s most highly contested policies, affecting all areas of the economy and society.<\/p>\n

He said BEE costs the South African economy approximately R290 billion per year. This translates to a total of R5 trillion in lost economic activity since the policy\u2019s inception.<\/p>\n

Ansara added that black poverty has worsened during the period when black economic empowerment has been at its strongest.<\/p>\n

He highlighted that black economic empowerment only enriches a small group of politically connected elites. \u201cThis is a feature, not a bug of the policy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Africa<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said anyone who opens a debate about black economic empowerment (BEE) promotes white supremacy. The minister shared his views on BEE and transformation during a recent discussion on Newzroom Afrika. Mantashe\u2019s attack on BEE opponents came as many political parties and companies have highlighted the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":94984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[275],"class_list":["post-94985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\nMinister Claims BEE Debate Promotes White Supremacy - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said anyone who opens a debate about black economic empowerment ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Minister Claims BEE Debate Promotes White Supremacy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said anyone who opens a debate about black economic empowerment ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Africa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T17:53:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T18:01:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/sm_1767709859.735605.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Minister Claims BEE Debate Promotes White Supremacy\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-06T17:53:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-06T18:01:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy\"},\"wordCount\":909,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/sm_1767709859.735605.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"South-Africa\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/minister-claims-bee-debate-promotes-white-supremacy\",\"name\":\"Minister Claims BEE Debate Promotes White Supremacy - 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