Solidarity on Tuesday advised President Cyril Ramaphosa not to sign the Employment Equity Amendment Bill of 2020 into law and to refer it back for review.

The trade union, however, warned that if the president proceeded to sign the Bill into law, Solidarity would have to approach the courts “to once again force the government to do the right thing and to review the Act.” The government has indicated that the President intends to sign the amendment Bill early in September. Solidarity is of the opinion that this law is unconstitutional and that it is moreover in direct contravention of an earlier finding of the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) indicating that racial legislation in SA, even in its current format, is unconstitutional and is not in accordance with international norms and values. It noted that the president has the authority to question the constitutionality of proposed legislation and has the power to refer it back to parliament for review. “The proposed amendment to the Act in terms of which racial targets would be imposed on sectors will have disastrous consequences for our economy. In many instances it would deprive those lucky enough to keep their jobs of any possibility of promotion. This would mean that the skills exodus to other countries would only be accelerated and the South African economy – like its public service – would increasingly be trapped in a spiral of inefficiency, contraction and imminent collapse. The state’s obsession with race must be opposed at all costs. We simply cannot afford not to do it,” Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity Chief Executive, commented.

• Read Solidarity’s press statement regarding the above matter at Solidarity News
• Lees ook, Laat wysigings aan Wet op Diensbillikheid hersien, maan Solidariteit, by Maroela Media

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