The only people likely to be happy about revelations in the Commission for Employment Equity's 2016 report are the architects of apartheid, carousing in their graves, and the minority who seek to sustain their legacy.
The rest of us should be appalled that nearly 70% of top management jobs are held by whites and 78% by men. Those who criticise Nelson Mandela for going easy on business in negotiations during the early 1990s will be justified in saying "I told you so".
Unhappily for Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, she is the one who has to turn the tide of history, intransigence and apathy and align the levers of the economy with the broad desire for a fairer society.
It will not help that she is part of an increasingly unpopular government. Those critics of Mandela will be quick to point out that a hardline approach to employment equity would have been much more likely to succeed under his guidance than with a process of state capture in full swing.
But it is clear that determined action is required. Can anyone be surprised by South Africa's status as one of the most consistently unequal countries in the world when confronted by evidence that pale males are still so firmly entrenched in the pound seats?
There can be no argument about the failure of the regulatory framework, and Mncane Mthunzi, president of the Black Management Forum, makes a cogent argument that only a threat of delisting will make non-compliant public companies take their responsibilities seriously.
Too much lip service has been paid to the Employment Equity Act in the 19 years since it came into force. Too many token appointments have been made, too much window-dressing has been tolerated. And whatever you think of radical economic transformation, too little of it has taken place and we must now face the consequences.
Oliphant deserves a wide measure of support as she attempts to right the ship.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
