Dis-Chem withdraws memo on hiring of whites

The internal memo, which has since gone viral on social media, was informing the team of a moratorium on the hiring more white people in order to reach the company’s transformation targets.

This led to a fierce debate on affirmative action and employment equity, with some threatening to boycott the retailer.

In a statement released on Monday, the Dis-Chem board said the letter was withdrawn due to the poor wording, but the spirit in which the letter was written remains the same.

"We regret the wording and tone of an internal memorandum that has been erroneously widely shared. We acknowledge that it did not reflect our values, its release did not follow our correct internal vetting processes and steps have been put in place to ensure that, going forward, relevant checks and balances are throughly duly performed.

“More importantly, we sincerely regret the offence and distress it has caused to so many people, including our staff and millions of loyal customers.

“Equality and diversity are important to Dis-Chem, and the group continues to make great strides in ensuring that it maintains progress in this area. 

“ It is a proudly South African business, which promotes inclusivity and representation of all South Africans, in their capacity as key stakeholders," said the group in a statement.