Solidarity in court to have Transformation Charter set aside

Trade union Solidarity on Tuesday presented their case to oppose the proposed Transformation Charter and have it set aside. Solidarity presented their arguments in the Labour Court in Braamfontein, arguing that the government was violating international regulations at more than one level.

The union presented arguments which suggest that the proposed charter by the sport and recreation ministry may create employment barriers, especially against people who were not considered black.

Solidarity’s advocate Greta Engelbrecht stated that things should return to previous submissions by the ANC government to the United Nations in 1971 in that merit alone should be the criteria for selecting teams for representative sport.

The trade union questions the constitutionality of the proposed charter.

Should their application be successful, it would mean an end to the politicising of sport, the organisation has said.

Various sporting bodies are, however, opposing the application by both Solidarity and AfriForum, who oppose quotas in sport.

Among the bodies opposing the application is the South African Rugby Union, Cricket South Africa, Athletics South Africa, Netball South Africa, and the department of sports and recreation.

Should the charter be approved, Solidarity’s Werner Human said it would mean Sports Minister Tokozile Xasa would yield unlimited power over sport, meaning, should a sport not meet the quota percentage, that particular sport’s funding may be stopped.

(Compiled by Gopolang Chawane)

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