South African Airways in 2012

[three eighty]

No more white cadet pilots for SAA | Fin24
Johannesburg - Cadet pilot training course applications from white men are no longer being accepted by South African Airways (SAA), it was reported on Friday.

SAA spokesperson Kabelo Ledwaba told Beeld that the cadet programme was being advertised online as an initiative to bring pilot demographics in line with the country's broader demographics.

"Only 15% of SAA's pilots are currently black, and this includes Indians and coloureds. The rest are white, and 91% of them are men."

Ledwaba said the airline would appoint male, white pilots when there were vacant posts for which applicants of other races could not be found.

Beeld had asked why white applicants were being rejected across the board.

An irate father had called the newspaper to complain that his son, who had a commercial pilot's licence and met the educational and physical criteria, had been rejected on the grounds of race.

By filling out several dummy applications, Beeld established that the online form had been programmed to reject any white applicants.

[cavortingcheetah]

Is Eskom up and operating again after implementing that racially sexist policy some years ago?

[Tableview]

As many have said, we still have discrimination on racial grounds. The only difference is that now the 'previously disadvantaged' are less skilled and educated (no fault of their own) but they are still being elevated into positions above their level of competence. It is a recipe for disaster.

[cavortingcheetah]

1994-2012
Why is it no fault of their own?
Speculation on the matter is probably as impolitic as is discussion of the state president's multi hued sex life but after two generations of school leavers since the day of independence the question seems one which, to use that dreadful hackneyed word, might be fair?

[Tableview]

It's largely no fault of their own because the ANC has followed the same policy as the Nats (ironic isn't it?) in keeping the masses uneducated. There are certainly better opportunities for blacks now than before, but there is a long way to go.

Also it takes two generations before the importance of education filters from parents to offspring. We're not quite there yet.

[cavortingcheetah]

But then, if Zuma and the ANC win the next election it will be their fault for having been so unenlightened as to vote in yet again those who shackle them to the past?

[Tableview]

As SA moves closerto being a one-party state, that may well be the outcome. The electorate is largely as unsophisticated and naive as it was when it voted the mob into power in 1994. Then, they at least had Mandela as a figurehead worthy of respect.

[stressmerchant]

1994-2012
Why is it no fault of their own?

in 1992 I applied for a position at SAA. My application was rejected, with the reason being something along the lines of "your employment at this company would not contribute towards the equity targets we have set ourselves". That was before the ANC even came to power!

[glorybusdriver]

Will this effect all the white pilots that went for interviews in the last 2 months at SAA?

[Ghost_Rider737]

Direct Entry Pilot applicants wont be affected .

[Nirak]

The worst position to be in is to be white and female

Too female for the whites, not trained in the SAAF (due to white male AA)

Too white for the new South Africa

Double whammy !

[308GT4]

Tableview, there are a couple of very big differences in stance between when the Nats took over in 1948, viz: The Nats made 80% of everything skin colour (i.e. you had to have a WHITE skin), but the remaining 20% was name (it had to be an Afrikaans name), then language (it had to be Afrikaans) and finally religion (it had to be Calvanistic/Protestant). With the current "ruling" government, EVERYTHING is skin colour!
The big significant difference in what the current government fails to get right is: The Nats(whom I never voted for, by the way) started by ELEVATING the standard of education at universities. They made it MORE DIFFICULT to pass! But, they also introduced Technicons, where you were awarded a National Diploma after successfully finishing a 3 year course of 6 months lectures followed by 6 months practical in a work place. Further, they opened MANY apprentice training colleges to formally train tradesmen, lots! They also introduced technical high schools for those who feel they prefer a technical education to one of say, bible studies and political science.......
The NET RESULT was that ~~AFTER~~ about 20 years, the South African professional could walk into a job anywhere in the world (if he was allowed in...bloody racist-agent-bastard) and just start practicing/working.
With the current ruling people, they think ONLY of what they can do and say to the electorate to ensure that they will be RE-ELECTED in the next election. i.e. LOWER the standards of education to get more "learners" to pass so that they can say "I am a doctor". But try now and walk into a job as a "doctor" outside of Africa???
But things are much better nowadays........
Dinosaur/intransigent/resistant to change etc etc etc.....

[Ghost_Rider737]

308GT4

Your post is by far the most non-biased factual piece of intellect I have read in a while.

SAA is an awesome company to fly for. My colleges and i are fortunate to work for such an organisation albeit it's political nature. I think SAA is the only airline in the world were 98% of the pilots are happy.

Although SAA is government run ultimately , it has been the most "on-time" carrier in SA. A passenger flying on SAA can be assured of their travel plans (not so sure about their baggage though LOL) and Aircraft dispatch reliability.

I hope this cadet programme race crap is sorted out ASAP and does little to tarnish what's left of SAA's credibility.

[Tableview]

308GT4

Good points, but my point too remains valid. Although you say the ANC are educating people, but the quality is low, barriers have been lowered, and the 'qualifications' are worthless. As you said, in the old days, an SA qualification and education were highly regarded throughout the world.

Your point about[I] the South African professional could walk into(if he was allowed in... [/ a job anywhere in the world I] is a good one too. I had a black American girl on my team who treated me like crap becuase I was 'a white racist South African'. She then told me that all white South Africans are racist and couldn't see the irony in that statement until I asked her if it would then be fair to say that all blacks are muggers and druggies.

As for our airlines, I love SAA, even though I've had some flights on which the service has been appalling, it's been more than compensated by those where the service was warm, friendly, and Proudly South African!

[Alternative]

I fail to understand the huge outcry, what is the difference with the current policy as opposed to their policy held in the past wrt to Cadet Pilot Scheme. At most, I think there were only 2-3 white males that went through the program since inception. The cadet program was created to address the issue of there not being enough people of colour being represented at SAA! Please note SAA has not closed its doors to white males and continues and will do so in the forseeable future, ie, interview and hire white males. As stated in the past one only needs to look at the number of white males hired during the hire feast of late 2010,early 2011 and the current individuals that are being interviewed. SAA hires approx 30 pilots a year, rest assured at the most only half of this positions will be filled by cadets the rest will be open to all suitably qualified South Africans as has been the case for the last 18 years.

[Ghost_Rider737]

W

In the year that I joined(less than 5 yrs ago)SAA hired over 60 pilots. Of which 40 were white male. purely because there just aren't enough people from all demographics to interview.


Guys get over yourselves. SAA is an equal opportunities employer.

[i-Robot]

The cadet pilot programme has very little to do with, ultimately getting the nod to join the company. I can tell you from first hand experience, that it doesn't matter what colour you are, if you do not meet the recruitment requirements (interview, sim check, psychometric) when the time comes. You do not get in. There are a number of "black" and "white" pilots who did not make it through the selection process.

This shouldn't matter, however, and by the way, the cadet-pilot manager is a retired "white" former SAA captain. So, it is unfair to lambast an entire company for the actions of a single project team.

Nevertheless, I do have a serious problem with such blatant racism, which violates the very principles of employment equity. I still struggle to understand how recruiters/human resource clerks expect applicants to determine their "race", when they design application forms. To me, you would need to be a trained anthropologist to only begin deciphering where and how one would differentiate based on the complexities of genetic make-up. I hope the person/persons responsible for making such an uninformed decision on the e-application get educated, and summarily dismissed.

[Trossie]

SAA lifts ban on white cadets | Fin24

Does "applications from white men would not automatically be rejected" mean that they will still not 'automatically be ignored'?

[flyingwerks]

Air Zimbabwe v.2.0

[Shrike200]

It means that white male applicants won't be 'automatically rejected', just 'rejected'. They simply did away with the 'automatically' part

This is for the cadet program only. Kind of understandable, give the fixation on race and the fact that PDI's (we're going to have to invent a new term here, will we still be using 'PDI' in 50 years time?) often can't pay the cost of training. Then again, nor could a lot of people I know who still managed to get their CPL....plus a there are a LOT of 'PDI's' who are MUCH wealthier than my family ever was or will be....this is what you get when you classify by race I guess. Welcome to SA(A)!