The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Western Cape strongly condemns the City of Cape Town’s continued exclusionary employment practices, particularly in its executive leadership, where White male dominance persists at the expense of equitable transformation.

Despite South Africa’s constitutional commitment to redress and equality, the City of Cape Town’s executive leadership remains overwhelmingly white and male, with little to no meaningful progress in diversifying its top management.

This blatant disregard for employment equity and demographic representation undermines the principles of fairness, inclusiveness, and justice.  

Key Concerns 

1.    Lack of transformation in executive appointments – the city’s senior management remains disproportionately white and male, failing to reflect the demographics of Cape Town, where black (African, Coloured, and Indian) professionals remain grossly underrepresented in decision-making roles.  

2.    Violation of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) – the city’s hiring practices appear to contravene the spirit and letter of the EEA, which mandates equitable representation of designated groups (black people, women, and persons with disabilities).

3.    Systemic exclusion of Black professionals who are qualified and experienced continue to face barriers in accessing leadership positions, reinforcing apartheid-era patterns of privilege.  

4.    Hypocrisy in public commitments – while the City of Cape Town claims to promote inclusivity, its actions reveal a resistance to meaningful transformation, perpetuating economic and racial disparities.  

COSATU is calling for the following from the City of Cape Town:

* For an immediate audit of the city’s employment equity compliance, with transparent reporting on executive appointments.  

·      * Urgent corrective measures to ensure fair representation of Black professionals, women, and other marginalised groups in leadership.  

·       * A public commitment to transformation, with clear timelines for diversifying senior management.  

·       * Independent oversight to investigate allegations of systemic bias in recruitment and promotions.  

The people of Cape Town deserve a government that reflects their diversity and actively works to dismantle apartheid’s lingering inequalities. The city’s current trajectory is unacceptable and must be challenged.

We call on the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE), and the national government to intervene and hold the City of Cape Town accountable.  

Issued by COSATU Western Cape 

Malvern De Bruyn (Provincial Secretary) 060 977 9027

Motlatsi Tsubane (Chairperson) 074 482 6180