Solidarity challenges Marius Fransman to defend the ANC's stance on affirmative action in a public debate
Solidarity has challenged Marius Fransman, ANC Western Cape chairman, to express and defend his stance on affirmative action and the trade union's court case against the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) during a public debate. Dirk Hermann, Deputy General Secretary of Solidarity, challenged Fransman to participate in a debate on affirmative action during a community meeting in Cape Town this coming Thursday.
Fransman and the ANC in the Western Cape claim that Solidarity's affirmative action lawsuit against the DCS is ‘unnecessary' and that the Labour Court in Cape Town is not the appropriate place to contest the department's affirmative action plan. According to Fransman, the national government should deal with the matter instead. Moreover, he accused Solidarity of fuelling racial antagonism between blacks and coloureds.
Hermann said the manner in which affirmative action is implemented in the DCS is being disputed. ‘The DCS claims that the national racial demographics must be applied to the Western Cape. This is why Solidarity has taken the case to the Labour Court on behalf of 10 applicants. But affirmative action must not be disputed in court only. I challenge Fransman to come and defend his views on affirmative action in a debate.
‘The coloured people of the Western Cape will then be able to decide for themselves whether or not they are satisfied with the way in which affirmative action is implemented in the province. What Solidarity has found in the Western Cape and the rest of the country is that employees are disillusioned by the "Jimmy Manyi approach" to affirmative action,' added Hermann.
Various church, trade union and community leaders will voice their criticism of the state's racial approach to affirmative action at the debate on Thursday.
The media is cordially invited to attend a press conference along with community leaders:
Date: Thursday, 2 May 2013
Time: 13:00
Venue: Fuji Yumi, 110 Loop Street, Cape Town
Statement issued by Dirk Hermann, Deputy General Secretary: Solidarity, April 30 2013
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