Affirmative Understudies

I THINK the biggest mistakes some especially mining companies in Namibia and South Africa make when dealing with Affirmative Action, apart from some parastatals appointing underqualified key personnel, is employing aspiring, ambitious qualified black person as “understudies”.

This means that for a couple of years after graduating, a white person (the supervisor) who has held the position for more than ten years has to transfer his expertise to you, so that you can eventually replace him. BUT only if he is confident that your feet have grown large enough to fit his boots.I mean, hello? What person will readily give up his/her position for another one.Forget about reconciliation and black empowerment when it comes to having to give up a pay cheque and comfortable life for the unknown.Some black graduates end up working as understudies for more than 5 years, and end up knowing very little about the job they’re supposed to do in the end.Why? Because his/her white supervisor dictates how much knowledge is passed on to him.Guess what happens when the supervisor is out of town for a week? The black rookie has to fill in for him without prior coaching and thus cannot do a proper job of it! So this gives the white supervisor fuel to sell his black understudy as incompetent to the rest of the company! This understudy concept should be abolished because that is what is fuelling some of the resentment that whites have for AA.Instead, a graduate should be entered into a training program with a clearly set out “curriculum” that has to be covered in a specified amount of time.In this way, the company controls how much the new appointee should know at the end, and in this way, whether he/she gets the white supervisor’s position.Depending on the aspiring black person’s abilities AFTER proper training.And yes, this is REALLY happening!Ambitious Namibian UCTNote: Understudies are only applicable to work permit holders, and permanent residents, regardless of their skin colour.The Act does not require white Namibians to be ‘understudied’.- EdBUT only if he is confident that your feet have grown large enough to fit his boots.I mean, hello? What person will readily give up his/her position for another one.Forget about reconciliation and black empowerment when it comes to having to give up a pay cheque and comfortable life for the unknown.Some black graduates end up working as understudies for more than 5 years, and end up knowing very little about the job they’re supposed to do in the end.Why? Because his/her white supervisor dictates how much knowledge is passed on to him.Guess what happens when the supervisor is out of town for a week? The black rookie has to fill in for him without prior coaching and thus cannot do a proper job of it! So this gives the white supervisor fuel to sell his black understudy as incompetent to the rest of the company! This understudy concept should be abolished because that is what is fuelling some of the resentment that whites have for AA.Instead, a graduate should be entered into a training program with a clearly set out “curriculum” that has to be covered in a specified amount of time.In this way, the company controls how much the new appointee should know at the end, and in this way, whether he/she gets the white supervisor’s position.Depending on the aspiring black person’s abilities AFTER proper training.And yes, this is REALLY happening!Ambitious Namibian UCTNote: Understudies are only applicable to work permit holders, and permanent residents, regardless of their skin colour.The Act does not require white Namibians to be ‘understudied’.- Ed