JOHANNESBURG, 21 October 2025– The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has reaffirmed its support for South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy, rejecting calls from the Democratic Alliance (DA) to replace it.
The DA recently unveiled its Economic Inclusion for All Bill, which seeks to repeal race-based procurement policies and establish a system aimed at poverty alleviation. The party argues that a reformed approach could more effectively empower disadvantaged communities without focusing on race.
However, the IFP has stressed that the BEE policy remains necessary to address the lingering economic inequalities created by South Africa’s apartheid history. Party spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said, “The IFP has always maintained the principle that BEE is a necessary policy proposition which seeks to regularise the economic empowerment imbalances which exist in the country, owing to the realities of the past. And BEE has been compromised as a principled position by poor implementation and corruption. What we need to regularise, therefore, is how we move forward with BEE to implement it correctly and to ensure that the noble ideals which had characterised it at inception are achieved.”
The BEE policy has faced criticism in recent years for inconsistent implementation and allegations of corruption, but the IFP insists the solution lies in improving enforcement rather than discarding the framework entirely.
President Cyril Ramaphosa of the African National Congress (ANC) also defended the BEE policy, noting that it is constitutionally grounded. Speaking on Monday, he said, “Currently, we have a BEE policy, one that is rooted and underpinned by our Constitution, and the laws that we have passed. So, if anyone wants an amendment to the BEE legislation, they must table their proposals, they must be taken for discussion in Parliament, and at the moment the BEE policies, legislation, regulations as they stand, apply without any dilution whatsoever.”
The debate over the BEE policy comes amid ongoing discussions about South Africa’s economic transformation and how best to achieve equitable opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups. While the DA pushes for a new approach, both the IFP and ANC emphasize reforming and properly implementing the existing BEE framework rather than replacing it entirely.
