JOHANNESBURG, 24 October 2025– The Independent Financial Advisors Forum (IFAF) has voiced firm opposition to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) proposed ‘Economic Inclusion for All Bill’, describing it as an attempt to dismantle South Africa’s B-BBEE laws and undermine the country’s transformation agenda.
The DA’s bill seeks to replace Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) legislation with new frameworks the party claims will promote “economic inclusion based on need rather than race.” However, IFAF maintains that the existing B-BBEE laws have been instrumental in addressing apartheid’s economic injustices.
According to the forum, B-BBEE has contributed to measurable progress in diversifying the country’s economy, including the expansion of the black middle class and improved access to education and professional opportunities.
IFAF’s deputy chairperson, Buti Sigasa, warned that repealing the laws would reverse years of progress.
“It will be fatal for black business, the proposal by the DA. The Constitution of South Africa is clear that we must redress past imbalances,” Sigasa said. “Apartheid policies such as the Native Land Act and Bantu Education were based on race, and there must be accountability.”
The forum has urged Parliament to reject the DA’s bill and instead strengthen policies that promote equitable participation in the economy.
Analysts note that the debate highlights the ongoing tension between economic reform and the pace of transformation more than three decades after apartheid. While supporters of the DA’s proposal argue that B-BBEE laws have created inefficiencies and benefited a small elite, critics insist that removing them would deepen inequality and ignore South Africa’s historical context.
