Solidarity takes the Department of Tourism to the Northern Gauteng High Court on April 28 over the department’s decision to use race as a criterion for granting aid during the Covid 19 crisis.
âThis pandemic is not a crisis that only affects certain people; the whole of South Africa is plunged into a crisis. Tourism is heavily affected, but unlike the virus, the Department of Tourism will look at your race and will discriminate against you based on your skin color, âsays Dr. Dirk Hermann, chief executive of Solidarity. “It is your skin color, and therefore not the distress you are in, that will be the determining factor for help.”
Opposing court documents filed by the Department of Tourism acknowledge that race will be used as a criterion for awarding aid. They argue that under black economic empowerment (BEE) regulations, they may grant assistance on the basis of race.
âIt is shocking that during this time of crisis, the Department of Tourism has a greater connection to their racial ideology than to the needs of all South Africans. What they forget is that employees, regardless of their race, will be hardest hit by this decision, âHermann argues.
Solidarity has already lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on March 25 after the government indicated that emergency funds will be allocated on the basis of race. On March 30, an urgent application was served on the department and the case is scheduled to be heard in the North Gauteng High Court on April 28.
The Department of Tourism responded on April 8 with a notice that they would oppose Solidarity in court. Minister of Tourism Nkhensani Kubayi-Ngubane made it clear during a media conference that aid would be biased and in favor of black economic empowerment. This racial approach was confirmed in their opposing pieces.
On April 14, the civil rights organization, AfriForum, brought a similar case against the Department of Tourism. Solidarity welcomes AfriForum’s application.
âOn April 28, we are in court and the department will have to defend its racism in court. We must not let it go and let it become the norm. We must not allow the government to decide on the basis of race, âHermann said.
“ORIGINAL ARTICLE TRANSLATED FROM AFRIKAANS”
