BEE-ing the best you can?

The Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) act is regarded as a practical growth strategy that aims to appreciate South Africa’s full economic potential.

Is it fair to limit individuals of a particular race from their full potential to achieve, purely because of the fact that there is a required ratio of race that must be met within different sports in order to meet the economic potential that the system tries to achieve?

It is believed that this system has been put forward in order to restore the inequalities expressed during Apartheid by giving previously disadvantaged groups such as black, coloured and Indian races the opportunity to show case their talents and bring them into South Africa’s mainstream economy in both the working arena as well as on the sports field.

As a sportswoman myself, competing at the highest level with individuals who attempt selection to represent their country, I have been exposed to many incidences that involve the BEE act. It allows an individual the opportunity of a life time purely due to their skin colour while it disadvantages another individuals with a higher level of talent due to the fact that there is a ratio that is expected to be met before competing overseas.
Why is it that this system is not applied in all sports, enforcing a bracket of race ratio’s, such as the South African national soccer team which does not enforce this rule and permits a team of one race to represent the country?

Tay Johnston