Solidarity and AfriForum tackle sport quotas head-on

Trade union Solidarity and the civil rights organisation AfriForum yesterday served legal documents in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) to force the Sports Ministry to reveal information regarding planned transformation targets. 

This follows after Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula announced earlier this year that sport codes not achieving transformation targets will no longer be permitted to host international sport events. The Minister singled out four sports bodies that, according to him, do not meet the requirements. This includes the South African Rugby Union, Cricket South Africa, Netball South Africa and Athletics South Africa.

According to Johan Kruger, Deputy Chief Executive of Solidarity, the Minister of Sport must, in terms of this application, disclose all agreements with regard to transformation targets between the sports bodies and the Minister. “Through our application for access to information, we are forcing the Minister to disclose his racially based quota targets, which will then enable us to commence with further litigation against the implementation of sport quotas,” Kruger explained. 

According to Henk Maree, National Spokesperson of AfriForum, this course of action will also be used to garner international support. “Merit should be the only criteria when selecting sports teams and we will use this action to create international awareness of the absurd implementation of sports quotas in South Africa,” Maree said.

Statement issued by Johan Kruger, Deputy Chief Executive: Solidarity, 10 November 2016