South Africa's Democratic Alliance has proposed the 'Economic Inclusion For All Bill' to repeal or radically overhaul the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act. The plan argues that race-based quotas have failed to uplift the majority, instead benefiting a narrow elite. President Cyril Ramaphosa insists any changes must go through Parliament, reigniting debates on redress in an unequal society.
The Democratic Alliance's (DA) 'Economic Inclusion For All Bill', introduced in late 2025, aims to shift South Africa's transformation policies from race-based frameworks to a nonracial, needs-based approach. The party contends that Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has enriched a politically connected black elite while leaving millions unemployed and impoverished. Instead, the DA advocates focusing on skills development, job creation, investment, entrepreneurship, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals, moving away from corporate compliance like black ownership points and management control criteria.
This proposal has sparked intense debate, highlighting South Africa's apartheid legacy. President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized that BEE is 'rooted and underpinned by our Constitution' and remains intact. He stated, “if anyone wants an amendment to the BEE legislation, they must table their proposal and they must be taken for discussion in Parliament.” Other parties, including the Freedom Front Plus, echo the DA's criticism, claiming BEE promotes patronage to the economy's detriment. AfriForum has similarly called for ending what it terms 'racially discriminatory' policies like affirmative action, arguing they create a racialized environment focused on equal outcomes rather than opportunities.
The debate draws on historical context, including international misinformation campaigns. In 2018, former US President Donald Trump tweeted about studying 'land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large-scale killing of farmers' in South Africa, despite no credible evidence supporting higher murder risks for farmers. Upon his 2025 return to office, Trump issued an executive order in response to the Expropriation Bill, assented by Ramaphosa on 23 January 2025, mischaracterizing it as enabling seizure of Afrikaner property without compensation. Elon Musk condemned the law as 'openly racist ownership legislation.' The order included provisions for resettling Afrikaners as refugees and cut US funding to South Africa pending investigation.
Persistent inequalities underscore the stakes. A 2017 land audit showed white individuals owning 72% of farms and agricultural holdings, with Africans holding only 4%. By early 2023, black unemployment stood at nearly 40%, compared to 7.5% for whites. Critics argue scrapping race-sensitive mechanisms like BEE would ignore systemic racial disadvantages, potentially perpetuating hierarchies. DA ministers, such as Public Works' Dean Macpherson and Communications' Solly Malatsi, have pushed related changes in tenders and ICT regulations. The author, University of Johannesburg professor Mandla J Radebe, warns that without targeted redress, white privileges from colonialism and apartheid will remain unchecked, violating constitutional commitments.