Jaco Kleynhans and Dr. Dirk Hermann at the UN. (Photo: Provided)
Solidarity submitted a formal complaint against the South African government to the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva. This after the government broke an agreement with Solidarity on racial laws.
According to Solidarity, this step forms part of a larger campaign to phase out race laws in South Africa “piece by piece”.
Solidarity argues that racial legislation harms the economy and promotes discrimination. According to the organization, support against race laws has increased over the years, after more people realized that this legislation mainly benefits a “small marauding elite”.
According to Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute, now is the right time to take the fight further. “The ANC is vulnerable and pressure is needed especially now,” he says.
Already in 2021, Solidarity submitted a complaint to the ILO about the government’s race laws. According to the organization, hundreds of thousands of people supported the complaint.
The ILO declared the complaint admissible and started a mediation process between Solidarity and the government. This led to an agreement in June 2023 which was also ratified as a court order.
Dr. Dirk Hermann at the UN. (Photo: Provided)
According to Solidarity, the agreement stipulated that racial legislation should be temporary and that no one may be fired on the basis of race. The provisions also state that skills and the unique circumstances of companies must be taken into account and that race cannot be the only criterion.
Solidarity claims, however, that the government has not yet implemented the terms of the agreement as required by regulations, in the Government Gazette not published.
The organization believes that the government is disregarding not only the international process, but also a local court order.
In addition to the international complaint, Solidarity says it is also busy with further legal steps in South African courts.
“The racial ideologues are never going to turn off the racial lights in South Africa of their own volition. We have to put them out piece by piece,” Solidarity said in a Facebook post.