NWU warned to abandon its reward for discrimination against white employees

1 February 2024

Solidarity views the alleged practices of racial discrimination by the North-West University (NWU) in its employee performance assessments in a very serious light.

This union today issued a serious demand to the NWU, giving this university a period of 10 days to revoke these directives to departmental managers. According to these directives, which Solidarity had sight of, 80% of their appointments must solely be black persons.

Apparently, these directives had been issued at the start of the new work year as key performance indicators (KPIs) to departmental managers of both academic and supporting staff.

They are expected to sign these directives in terms of which the managers undertake to change the culture of the organisation; to increase the proportion of black employees; and to reserve 80% of appointments exclusively for black people.

According to Anton van der Bijl, Solidarity’s deputy chief executive of legal matters, the NWU must explain why these discriminating practices are encouraged with such diligence.

“These directives issued by the NWU are absolutely appalling. In essence, a bonus is paid to mangers to systematically get rid of white employees.

“You are only eligible for a bonus if your department complies strictly with the rigid racial demographic quotas prescribed. It is unacceptable and such blatant racism must be fought relentlessly,” says Van der Bijl.

Solidarity contends that the decision to make racial discrimination a prescription for performance appraisals is unethical and immoral. According to Van der Bijl, this is also contrary to local and international precedents.

“International directives on race programmes require them to be nuanced and flexible. When drafting such a policy economic and social realities must be given precedence.

“The NWU’s policy, however, comes down to hard racial divisions without that flexibility or any degree of nuance. We simply cannot and will not accept that,” says Van der Bijl. See Solidarity's letter of demand to the NWU here.

Issued by Anton van der Bijl, Deputy Chief Executive, Legal Matters, Solidarity, 1 February 2024