By: Natasha Archary
Dischem has come under fire after a leaked memorandum over the company’s hiring of whites, sparked division over employment equity and racism.
The internal document which has since gone viral, is said to have been written by group Chief Executive, Ivan Saltzman.
While the country may be split over Dischem’s recruitment processes, the company itself says it stands by its stance.
“Equality and diversity are important to Dis-Chem, and the group continues to make great strides in ensuring that it maintains progress in this area.”
As per the document, Dischem’s CEO said as of the 19 September, a moratorium is placed on the appointment of white individuals. This includes both external and internal promotions.
“No appointments are to be made on managerial level (senior, middle, junior) without my direct approval as CEO.
The achievement of set Employment Equity targets will be incorporated into Management’s bonus structure and the allocation will be issued in due course.”
The Dischem CEO claims the harsh measures in the company’s recruitment process is necessary to ensure the brand remains profitable and avoids a potential fine of 10% of its turnover for the year.
“Remember we are growing at a fast rate and a few appointments other than white don’t cut it. It’s the ratio between black and white 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.”
Dischem’s memorandum for hiring whites has sparked heated racial discussions on social media, with the likes of ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba calling the letter divisive and racial.
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