Solidarity to take minister to court

Trade union Solidarity and rights organisation AfriForum plan on taking Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and four of the country’s major sports federations to court to set aside their transformation target agreements.

The minister in April last year announced that the four main sports governing bodies – Athletics SA, the South African Rugby Union, Cricket SA and Netball SA – may not continue to host major international tournaments as they have not yet achieved their transformation targets.

Antonie van der Bijl, head of Solidarity’s centre for fair labour practices, said it appeared from the documents that the aim for all sports federations was that teams, coaches and staff were to reflect the demographics of South Africa, which was 84% black African with 16% white, coloured and Indian participants.

“It is clearly a quota system. The target for soccer, for example, is 100% exclusively black players, coaches and staff with no provision whatsoever for other race groups.

“We have no doubt that this contravenes not only the constitution and the Employment Equity Act, but also international sport regulations which forbid sport quotas,” said Van der Bijl.

“We are not against transformation, but we believe in an input-based, equitable and fair transformation process starting at grassroots level.”