Outrage at new race Act

More than 30 organisations and political parties have teamed up against the government’s Employment Equity Amendment Act (EEAA) and plan to align their protest and actions against the new race law.

Yesterday, members of Solidarity and 30 other organisations – including political parties such as the Democratic Alliance (DA), Freedom Front Plus and ActionSA signed a resolution to fight the proposed fair employment Act.

DA John Steenhuisen said the quotas targeted the groups defined by the regulations as coloured males and females and Indian males and females.

Re-victimised

“People from these communities suffered discrimination under the previous regime and now they are being re-victimised by a democratic government that has learnt all the wrong lessons from the past,” he said.

Solidarity chief executive Dr Dirk Hermann said the injustice would not be tolerated. “Today we made history.

This was one of the largest gatherings of political parties and civic organisations yet. Everyone present agreed we must launch definitive action against the abuses of the state,” he said.

READ MORE: ‘Equal law for all’ – Solidarity targets govt in BEE legal challenge

More control

Political lecturer at North-West University Dr Benjamin Rapanyane said the Act signalled the ANC’s attempt to gain more control over the economy, increase social divisions and ban certain communities from employment in certain sectors of the economy.

“This will not be accepted by the society, as people from such communities have also been subjected to discrimination … and now they are being victimised again by the democratic government that was supposed to have learnt [from] the historical mistakes committed by their predecessors,” he said.

Political analyst Piet Croucamp said the legislation was more complicated than a ban on coloured employment. “It might have that implication eventually, however. “If racial quotas are constitutional then that is what is perceived to be a just transition.

As it only applies to companies with more than 50 employees, the impact might be negligible in the larger context,” he said.

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