The civil rights organisation AfriForum and the trade union Solidarity sharply criticised the decision by Cricket South Africa (CSA) to also introduce race quotas for national cricket teams in future. The organisations also indicated that they will contest the decision in local courts and at the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

The steps against CSA will form part of AfriForum and Solidarity’s collective campaign against race quotas that was announced recently. This campaign includes, among others, legal steps at the Labour Court as well as complaints at the United Nations (UN) and international sports bodies. 

Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, explains that AfriForum and Solidarity’s complaints at the ICC will be based on the fact that international sports regulations explicitly forbid any form of racial discrimination and political interference in sport.

According to Dr Dirk Hermann, Executive Officer of Solidarity, affirmative action plans as contained in the transformation charter for sport and in CSA’s quota plans, are in contravention with the Employment Equity Act.

“Not only do these plans not take into account the pool of suitable candidates, but there was also a lack of sufficient consultation with players and trade unions regarding the targets. We furthermore argue that these plans effectively amount to a quota system that is forbidden by the Employment Equity Act,” says Hermann.

As part of their legal action, AfriForum and Solidarity launched a referendum among the public in order to strengthen their case against quotas in sport. Visit www.neevirkwotas.co.za for more information.

Issued by AfriForum and Solidarity