Impementing broad-based black economic empowerment policy in the provisioning of houses in the Limpopo Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs

Abstract

Apartheid systematically and purposefully restricted the majority of South Africans from meaningful participation in the economy of the country. The society was characterised by entrenched gender inequality, and defined by wealth disparities and general economic exclusion of certain groups of society such as blacks, women and youth, as well as people living with disabilities. The period since 1994 has seen the South African economy undergoing restructuring. One of the major milestones in this regard was the introduction of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policy. The principal aim was to undo the legacy of dispossession and disempowerment that characterised economic development until 1994. This study was undertaken to investigate the implementation of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Policy (B-BBEE) in the Limpopo Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs. (CoGHSTA). It is also the aim of the study to investigate the processes and systems that ensure that the B-BBEE policy is fairly and equitably implemented. The study further aims at investigating the challenges in the implementation of the B-BBEE policy and suggests appropriate recommendations. The research methodology followed in this study is qualitative in nature. Semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to respondents for the collection of primary data. The main finding of the study is that, although the main aim behind the introduction of the policy is to undo the legacy of dispossession and disempowerment of the majority of South Africans, only a few politically “well connected elites” are actual beneficiaries of the empowerment deals in real terms. One of the striking findings is that officials are often not well trained on the imperatives of the policy. As such it is recommended by the study that rolling out training programmes for staff members, especially those closely working with bids in Supply Chain Management, be considered.