BusinessLive reports that trade union Solidarity and lobby group AfriForum are forging ahead with a legal challenge against tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane’s decision to provide support to distressed firms and establishments in the tourism sector based on broad-based BEE codes, among other considerations.  

Kubayi-Ngubane has raised the ire of some in the sector because the BEE considerations will disqualify many companies from accessing government funding to mitigate the effect of the coronavirus pandemic.  The pandemic has hit the travel and tourism sector hard.  The case will be heard by the North Gauteng High Court on Tuesday.  “This pandemic is not a crisis that only affects certain people — the whole SA is in this crisis.  The tourism sector is severely affected, yet the department of tourism will, other than the virus, look at your race and discriminate against you based on the colour of your skin,” explained Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann.  Solidarity noted that the purpose of BEE was to correct the disadvantages of the past, but argued that the Tourism Relief Fund should not be about those who were previously disadvantaged, but about survival.  The ANC in Parliament said it was shocked and dismayed that Solidarity and AfriForum had decided to approach the court to challenge the official government policy of BBBEE.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bekezela Phakathi at BusinessLive
• Read too, Department of Tourism receives over 9,000 applications for relief fund, at EWN

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page