National Action Plan against racism is blueprint for building on what we’ve done so far

THE National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (NAP) is an important tool to prevent and combat racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic and other discriminatory conduct and forms of prejudice that we have been experiencing in our country recently.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJCD) therefore welcomes the approval of the NAP by the cabinet.

The development of the NAP was necessitated by the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) which was adopted following the third World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance hosted in Durban in 2001.

The DDPA urges states to establish and implement national policies and action plans to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including their gender-based manifestations.

The cabinet’s approval of the NAP followed a rigorous process, which was overseen by a steering committee comprising various stakeholders, including government departments, Chapter 9 institutions, broader civil society organisations and other relevant role-players.

Inputs from the public were important in shaping the NAP, as a draft of the NAP was published for public comment during December 2015, with the public consultations phase launched in 2016. Further engagements and feedback sessions were conducted last year.

The approved NAP, which will subsequently be deposited at the UN and will also be revised every five years, includes a targeted set of actions, interventions, measures and timeframes, with a proposed governance structure for the implementation of the NAP, as well as clear monitoring and evaluation arrangements and a reporting framework. It sets out, in clear and practical ways, what the government, civil society, the media, academia, business, labour, and sporting and religious bodies have to do to combat and prevent discrimination and prejudice.

The NAP will be available online, on the DoJCD website, within the next week.

The Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, John Jeffery, who guided the steering committee, has highlighted that all sectors of society should take ownership of the plan.

“The NAP does not belong to government only – it is a national undertaking and thus belongs to the country. It reaffirms the importance of a socially cohesive nation in addressing racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

South Africa has been a guiding light in the world in conquering racism. The NAP is the blueprint for building on what we have achieved thus far. The NAP is the ideal opportunity for our country and its people to renew our commitment to the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all other forms of prejudice and intolerance, he said.