Solidarity and AfriForum want to put a final stop to quotas in sport
31 May 2016
Trade union Solidarity and the civil rights organisation AfriForum today announced comprehensive legal plans in response to recent statements on quotas in South African sport made by Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula.
In April Mbalula announced that the four main sports governing bodies – Athletics SA, the South African Rugby Union (SARU), Cricket South Africa and Netball South Africa – may not continue to host any major international tournament in South Africa as they have not yet achieved their transformation targets.
According to Solidarity Chief Executive Dr. Dirk Hermann, minister Mbabula’s drastic steps amount to nothing but unfair labour practice. “By no manner of means do the Employment Equity Act and the National Sport and Recreation Act make provision for government interference in the selection of players for teams. This is exactly what the minister is now doing, and as civil society we simply cannot allow this to happen,” Hermann said.