(The Department of Labour says) Kulula says Blacks are Non-swimmers
 

From News 24:

Kulula: Blacks can't swim
by S'Thembiso Hlongwane
Johannesburg - Black people cannot swim. This is the reason domestic airline Kulula.com has given the department of labour for not hiring black people.

The department's Thembinkosi Mkhaliphi could not say how the company had substantiated this reasoning and referred further queries on the matter to Comair, the aviation company that operates British Airways and Kulula.com in South Africa.
Comair spokesperson Glenda Zvenyika declined to comment on Saturday.
The JSE-listed company is the first business institution to be hauled before the labour court for noncompliance.
"Our intention in the next two years is to deal with the top 100 (JSE) listed companies," Mkhaliphi said.
He added that the no-frills airline would appear in court on Tuesday for failing to adhere to the Employment Equity Act.
He said Comair was required to file a notice of intention to oppose and an answering affidavit by close of business on Tuesday.
"If no intention to oppose and an answering affidavit is filed as required in the notice of motion, the application might be heard in the respondent's absence and an order for costs might be sought against the respondent," explained Mkhaliphi.
He said if Comair was found guilty the company would be ordered to pay a fine of R900 000 and the costs of the application.
Sapa reported that the South African Chamber of Business welcomed the move but said government should be considerate and guard against damaging its good relations with business.

I trully hope this isn"t an official statement....PR department is gonna have to be very busy with damage repair after this.

As usual, probably a statement taken out of context but anyway.
Why is it ok to say white men can’t jump, if the majority can’t they can’t. Never heard an outcry about that. The majority of black people inherently are bad swimmers. Look at the make up of swimmers at the next Olympics event. Why must we then hide from blatant truths?

What a nightmare....

QUOTE OOMPILOT "
As usual, probably a statement taken out of context but anyway.
Why is it ok to say white men can’t jump, if the majority can’t they can’t. Never heard an outcry about that. The majority of black people inherently are bad swimmers. Look at the make up of swimmers at the next Olympics event. Why must we then hide from blatant truths?"

You never heard an outcry about whitemen cant jump beacause,no one has complained about not getting a job because he cant "jump",so this are two seperate things.

I also think we have to differentiate between black people cant swim,and black people cant learn to swim.

I dont see how been an olympic class swimmer can be the requirement for working in an airline,my local swimming instructor is as black as shoe polish,and my kids have learnt to swim quite well in his competent hands!

I definetly agree the white race excels more in competitive swimming just like the blacks in 100M, but i strongly believe that if the object is just to learn how to swim,any race is quite capable!

The SA CAA requires that aircrew must be able to swim.

Just like it requires that a pilot must be able to fly.

Now, if you can't swim, you can't be employed.

So.

If you want to be employed by an airline, and you have the pasion to fullfill your dreams,

GO AND TAKE SWIMMING LESSONS BEFORE GOING FOR SELECTION!

Stop blaming others for not employing you, while you're not lifting a finger to make yourself suitable.

Is swimming a new requirement in South Africa
 

Hi!! guys,please all of you or most of you who get to visit this site are pilots and fil some of you who agree with what Kulula is saying is just pathetic.When I myself used to train in South Africa I felt the racist comments that where said about Black Students in the flying school.What Im trying to say is that this problem does not really start in Kulula,it prevails in Flying Schools.
Instructors(some mind you) till now still pass this racial comments that Black People cant fly.If swimming now is a requirement to get into a Airline like Kulula,then Airlines like Kulula are downgrading the standard of flying in SA.Where is the Black Empower issue ended,or Kulula.com didnt get to know about something like that.Really guys,some people need to be educated about this.Some of us who still visit SA to come renew our licences get to visit this organisations,just to take a peek,I offered jobs,just because of our experience.They forget about colour or where you come from,they dnt even ask you if you can swim.
Or maybe Kulula is trying to open Sea Travel,but that does not mean Black people cant swim.Anyway,I hope the issue of black or white really stops.It really destroys what the Rainbow Nation is trying to get out of.

18left, the statement was intended to draw a comparison in the generalization of races, I never said swimming or jumping must be a requirement to fly in my previous post, although anyone with more than 18 brain cells would agree that swimming should be. This statement was a generalization about black people as was the white men can’t jump statement. To make it easy for you, the point I was trying to make was, why is it fine to generalize when it is positive or against white people but unacceptable when said against black people.
Anyway get real, now we must teach these people to swim and give them a job. How good a swimmer would this person actually be who began his swimming carrier at lets say 20 years of age.
As for the swimming couch you have, so be it, you also get 1 in a hundred white men that can run. Look at the line up at the Olympics next time, every now and then you see a pale male in the 100m.
Who knows maybe you have just found a candidate for Kulula, tell him to apply.:E

I was told that when Virgin Nigeria started up they employed some Nigerian girls as cabin crew, who all claimed on the application form, to be able to swim as was required.

When the time came for them all to jump into the pool for emergency procedures training, they all sank. This overwhelmed the life guards who only expected to rescue the odd one or two.

Seems they lied to get the job :hmm:

Prehaps there is a reason for having to be able to swim after all:E

I´m a B L A C K cabin crew instuctor in europe: able to swim, read, write, talk.

I´m so fed up with all the predjuces about my skin colour.

Ever experiencend a CRM?

Muschixxl

The reality is that a lot of cabin crew lie on their applications about their ability to swim. Not just in Africa but in Asia too. It is a cultural thing - people don't swim much in some of these countries. Can't tell you how many times I had to fish cabin crew out of a pool.

That being said - to use this as an excuse for not hiring people is pretty pathetic of Kulula/Comair. Many South African companies are forced to give their employees all kinds of extra training to get them competent - due to being forced to hire affirmative action candidates - so I don't see why this airline cannot give a few swimming lessons.

Comair would be very foolish to make a comment along these lines especially because they are about to be taken to court. Please read the articles carefully, you will see the comment comes from someone in government not from Comair, I believe it is attempted smear campaign.

Secondly, from what I can see is that the transformation in Comair at the moment is strong and aggressive. The requirement to be able to swim, is one laid down for cabin crew by the CAA, it does not apply to Pilots, ground staff, call centers etc. The swimming requirement features on the recruitment requirements for cabin crew on all airlines. I think this whole article should be taken with a pinch of salt as I believe it is irresponsible and out of context journalism.

Agree with Beckers, Stop going off on a tangent about racism etc. This statement was made by the government. Comair is the only airline that offers swim training for potential crew. The bottom line is that if you cannot swim you cannot get SACAA certification to work as a Cabin crew member.
If you caanot pass the test (even after training) You cannot get the job!!!!

It is very sad that race is again being brought up as an issue, in aviation in South Africa. This 13 years after the establishment of our so-called rainbow nation.

It is also sad that black people continue to play the racist Black Empowerment card around every corner, and deny the existence (and rights) of fellow white South Africans. Our black aviation brothers in the rest of Africa should also not feel too complacent, there are also strong undercurrents of xenophobia in South Africa - dont be delussional - you are not as welcome here as you might believe.

As long as this BEE policy dis-enfranchises white's and their rights to a living and doing an honest job in South Africa, nobody should be surprised about the acrimonious backlash from white South Africans.

We either have a democracy - or not!

Pretty much well said AAL
 

Colour of the skin is not an issue here, but as usual, the government makes it one! It is a pity that black people are often referred to as non swimmers, but it is sadly true. I spent some time in Mozambique teaching fishermen to swim, as you would find these guys 3 clicks out to sea in a leaky dugout with no ability to swim, while attempting to bail out their dugouts.
Cabin crew are required to swim to earn certification. If they stated on their application they could swim, chuck 'em in the deep end. If they can swim well and good. If they cannot swim, and their application said they could, fire them as they lied on their application,and there is no onus on the company to train an employee who has lied. Now with regard to skin colour, does it really matter? Does the company have any obligation to train anyone to swim in any event?
I would tell my staff who could not swim - Boet (or sussie as it may be), you are grounded till you can swim, call me when you can. :ugh:

Agree with B200Drvr
 

The ability to swim is a legislated requirement laid down by the SACAA. Next,I suppose, airlines are going to be prosecuted for not hiring people as cabin crew because they're blind, deaf, confined to a wheelchair etc. etc.

Certain jobs, because of the safety implications inherent in them, involve a certain amount of discrimination when recruiting candidates. I'm certain the ability to swim is required of white candidates as well. I just wonder if Comair/Kulula would pay for swimming lessons for white candidates?

If not then they can be charged with discrimination on the basis of race, which runs counter to our Constitution. Discrimination applies both ways, not only white towards black but black towards white as well!

SA Discrimination
 

Too true! Was thinking of a South Africa as based on the constitution, not the reality of one being turned in to a pigs ear by ignorant, self serving polititians who couldn't be trusted to run a spaza shop.

Out my experience nearly 20 years in aviation:

1) A few pilots did not allow black cabin crew to enter the cockpit- accepted by the management (year 1992 european airline)

2) It turned out to be big issue among some pilots, because of I´m coloured as I was promoted into a cabin safety trainer in my former company (year 2000 european airline)

and I could name a few other not so nice experiences.......

I totally agree if cabin crew members beeing refused to be employed, if they are not qualified/ none swimmer, e.t.c.

I just want to say: Don´t judge a book by it´s cover

I was told some years ago that black people have shorter tendons than white people, which is the reason that they tend to be more muscular since the contraction of the muscles is more efficient. Since swimming tends to rely on the extension of the muscles, then black people are not genetically disposed to being 'good' swimmers. I have no idea if this is true or not, and have no objections to being shot down in flames but it always appeared to be a plausible explanation....:hmm:

Sounds like a crock to me, but then I'm not a geneticist or whoever worries about things like that. I reckon anyone can be trained to do anything and it may be merely a cultural barrier that needs to be overcome, rather than a physical one.

We're supposed to have gone beyond all that crap. If you can't get in on merit, changing the standards to facilitate the selection of unsuitable candidates is not going to do the long term future of the company any good at all.