Affirmative action infringements in South Africa heading to the UN

Wide support for Solidarity’s complaint

9 June 2015

During the past two months, more than 300 000 South African across the entire race and political spectrum showed support for Solidarity’s complaint to the United Nations (UN) about affirmative action. The complaint relates to government’s disregard for the UN convention aimed at eliminating all forms of racial discrimination.

Solidarity’s complaint takes the form of a shadow report the trade union intends to submit to the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). CERD makes provision for civil society organisations to report a government to it by means of a shadow report submitted in response to that particular government’s own report to CERD.

At an input conference held in Cape Town today, several opinion formers gave input into Solidarity’s report and also showed their support for the union’s campaign. They included, among others Dr Danny Titus, Executive Director: Culture of the ATKV (Afrikaans Language and Culture Society); René Govender, National Project Coordinator of the Confederation of South African Workers’ Unions (Consawu); and Adv. Paul Hoffman.

Solidarity Chief Executive Dirk Hermann said the huge support for the trade union’s complaint is a reflection of the public’s dissatisfaction with government’s destructive affirmative action practices.

“We trust the public’s input will bolster our complaint against the government. We are grateful to everyone who has shown support and has given input into our report. We are confident that our report will draw the UN’s attention to the extent of the negative impact government’s implementation of affirmative action has on everyone in South Africa,” Hermann said.

This is the first time since 1994 that the South African government would stand accused of racial discrimination before the United Nations. In essence, the complaint is that the South African government’s absolute focus on race representivity is in breach of CERD’s provisions.

“The state’s race policies go beyond what is internationally allowed and no longer comply with international requirements for affirmative action,” Hermann said.

Statement issued by Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive: Solidarity, June 9 2015