Solidarity announces steps against Yes4Youth programme’s racial exclusion 

20 November 2018

Solidarity will announce the steps they are going to take against the absolute racial exclusion of the Yes4Youth youth employment scheme during a media conference tomorrow. 

This scheme has provoked many people because it excludes white people simply based on their skin colour and it does not consider the needs of young people looking for jobs. Solidarity Youth last week sent a letter to President Ramaphosa, wherein concerns and objections regarding the campaign were raised but no feedback has been received yet. 

According to Paul Maritz, coordinator of Solidarity Youth, further steps will be taken by Solidarity Youth on behalf of a young, white, unemployed man who is blatantly excluded from this programme because he cannot score points on a BEE scorecard. “The absurdity of this programme is that your circumstances and background are in no way considered, but only the colour of your skin is taken into account and used as the determining factor,” said Maritz. 

“Exclusion based on race is no longer abnormal. We are seeing it now at Discovery and we saw it earlier at Sasol as well. If you are a white person, you are unwelcome. This cannot be tolerated or be considered as normal. That is why Solidarity is now announcing steps to be taken to fight this exclusion,” said Werner Human, Deputy Chief Executive of Solidarity. 

Issued Francois Redelinghuys, Spokesperson, Solidarity, 20 November 2018