Engineering News reports that the amended Employment Equity (EE) Act, which empowers the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister to regulate sector-specific EE targets and to regulate compliance criteria to issue EE Compliance Certificates, is expected to come into force on 1 September 2023.

The EE Amendment Bill 2020 was passed by Parliament on 27 May, but must still be assented to and signed into law by the President. According to DEL acting deputy director-general Thembinkosi Mkalipi, the signing of the Bill by President Cyril Ramaphosa is imminent and is expected to take place between now and the beginning of 2023. Organisations that do business with the State will have to be in good standing when it comes to compliance with EE. Engagements on the setting of sector-specific EE targets started from June 2019 and will be completed by the end of September. The DEL will, in due course, publish the list of sector targets for public comment. Mkalipi indicated: “The implication for employers is that if you have an EE plan in place it will be affected by the setting of targets and you will have to revisit your targets.” He noted that 18 sectors have so far been consulted on the setting of EE targets, while the remaining sectors to be consulted between now and the end of September include mining and quarrying; public administration and defence, manufacturing, information and communication; and construction and real estate. Mkalipi reported that a new EE online assessment system would be created to monitor the implementation of sector targets, with assessments to be done yearly.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News

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