concordino says... "In this case, SAA should recruit cadet courses with a racial composition equal to that of the nation. Although at the end of the course the racial representation will be altered due to many being terminated. That would be fair I think."
Rubbish.
1) Get race OUT of your mind for once, and recruit people. Stop counting 'theres so many whites and so many browns and so many yellows and so many pinks so everythings OK and nobody is offended'.
2) If you did recruit 50 candidates and and 40 washed out, what is the cost of the exercise going to be? And the cost of future exercises which blindly ignore experience? and the total cost of assessing and half-training and re-assessing 500 candidates in order to employ 50?
There is a tried and tested manner of executing processes such as selection; candidates untertake tests before too much is spent on them and if they fail, they are out. It doesn't matter what their background is, who their daddy is or what colour they are....if they do not make the grade they are out. Tried and tested in many airlines and airforces the world over, since they began. Now South Africa (Airforce and Airways both) sees fit to throw this experience to the wind and do its own thing...at its peril. Any fool can see it is more cost-intensive and foolish to lower selection standards, except the fools doing the selection, it seems.