Unemployed Employable South African National Database Draft Bill: proposal by Inkosi Hlengwa

Meeting report

STANDING COMMITTEE ON PRIVATE MEMBERS' LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS AND SPECIAL PETITIONS
18 September 2001
UNEMPLOYED EMPLOYABLE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DATABASE BILL: PROPOSAL BY INKOSI HLENGWA

Chairperson: Mr PAC Hendrikse

Documents handed out:
Powerpoint presentation on Hlengwa legislative proposal

MINUTES
Inkosi Hlengwa briefed the Committee on the reasoning behind the bill, its objectives and the proposed methodology concerning a database housing the information on all unemployed South Africans but who have employable skills to offer (see document).

Benefits resulting from the proposal would be that the unemployed constituency would be defined and this data would be accessible to employers looking for skilled personnel.

CVs would form the basis of this database to provide government and employers with a pool of available skills. Standard CV forms would be placed at strategic points for the unemployed to enter their particulars. To cut down on costs, a R3 revenue stamp could be placed on such forms

He noted that part-timers would have to fall under the category of unemployed. Those unwilling to provide information would fall under suspicion. Crime syndicates would be identified as those unwilling to provide information - begging the question, "How do they manage to live?"

The Department of Home Affairs should have a link to this database for purposes of removing a name when death occurs or a person leaves the country. The Department of Labour would use the data to verify unemployed figures and skills available. The Department of Correctional Services would supply information regarding persons serving time. Employers would notify SARS when a person is retrenched. Trade unions would use the database to verify the number of job losses. The IEC would verify the number of those not participating in elections.

Inkosi Hlengwa strongly believed that this data would assist both government, employers and the unemployed.

Discussion
Mr B Magwanishe (ANC) asked for the definition of unemployed and part-timers. He wanted to know cost implications of administering this legislation as well as the benefits that the rural population would derive from this exercise. Finally he asked whether this exercise would not duplicate the same functions as that of a census.

Inkosi Hlengwa replied that part-timers are unemployed. He overlooked the request for a definition of unemployed. With regard to the cost implications, he said that other existing databases would be used as a foundation.

He said the census would not be able to specialise on what was being proposed. A census is updated only after five years while his proposal would be on an ongoing basis.

Ms P Coetzee (ANC) asked how can academically-qualified and skills-qualified persons be separated in the database. Secondly, what benefit would this proposal bring if an employer does not notify the database when an employee has been retrenched?

Inkosi Hlengwa replied that the proposal intends to answer such questions as distinguishing between academic and skill qualifications. He noted that it is the retrenched person who provides the information to the database and not the employer.

Mr Ndlovu (IFP) asked how the proposal envisages dealing with people involved in crime syndicates.

Inkosi Hlengwa replied that this proposal was not a mechanism for the police but to assist unemployed people who want employment.

Ms P Coetzee (ANC) observed that this was a good proposal especially for those retiring from the mines at age forty-eight.