The new struggle.

[Dave A]

This brings back memories.... Student protests and trying to right all the wrongs in the world.

About 11 white students painted their faces black in a bid to be classified as Africans at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday.

The group, led by AfriForum CEO Callie Kriel, handed a memorandum to a representative of the President's office, Elisa Ndlovu.

Kriel said the students' tongue-in-cheek action carried a very serious message, namely that the government was becoming ludicrously obsessed with race.

As part of the memorandum, the students each completed the Department of Labour's EEA1 form, in which they classified themselves as "African", and which they submitted to the president for certification as being correct by him.

On the form, to be filled in by employers or their employees as part of the Department of Labour's employment equity reports, people were given a choice of being either "African", "Coloured", "Indian" or "White".

The students also appealed to all who were born in South Africa to classify themselves as African when completing the EEA1 form.

One of the group, Quinten Campbell (20), said the action was intended to help fight discrimination in all forms.

When handing over the memorandum, Ernst Roets, a Students' Representative Council member said: "We want to demonstrate by means of this action that we are neither prepared to allow racial ideology to deprive us of our African identity, nor reduce us to second-class citizens in the country of our birth."

Upon receiving the memorandum, Ndlovu said: "I can't comment as I don't know the contents of the memorandum."

Kriel said the disadvantage of race classifications was that it perpetuated racial consciousness. "I don't deny that inequalities need to be addressed, but the method used is not correct".

He said these efforts should focus on socio-economic factors rather than race.
from M&G here

[Candy Bouwer]

Damm...brings back memories!! Wish that we were still so bold !!!

[Yvonne]

A ray of hope!, I applaud the courage of these students.

Every person in South Africa should be demanding to be treated as "African".
Thabo Mbeki is lauded for his cry “ I am an African”
We should be screaming back – So are we!

Race classification should never be in question nor play any role whatsoever in any circumstances.

South Africa needs the collective power of a "trade union" movement of S.M.E.'s - A “Union” of Business owners with sufficient clout through “numbers” to interceed with authorities or organizations adversely affecting our ability to control, operate and own our own futures.

Waiting for someone else to come along and refuse to co-operate on our behalf - whilst our financial viability goes out the window is insane!
Yet we are doing exactly that! - B.E.E.

S.M.E.'s and most South African citizens should demand that the previously inequalities be addressed mostly though massive education, skills training and development grants, even if this requires a greater slice of the budget.

I have often wondered how apartheid actually remained in control for so long – Fear is the answer. There is a genuine inability in the average person, to stir up enough courage to do something about a situation we don't feel is ethically or morally right.
That same apathy is further entrenched, when we know we are going to be labeled "negative" or "politically incorrect".
Both of those labels are considered a fate worse than losing our ability to earn an income and remain in business?

I would guess that the majority of the smaller businesses in South Africa operate purely to earn an income sufficient to pay payroll costs for employees and owners, with not much profit remaining to build up the liquidity of the business.
Even with the best will in the world and a willingness to want to do the best for the previously disadvantaged, some companies just don't have the capacity to survive the additional cost, admin burden etc. of B.E.E.

Yvonne Symons

[Chris Bouwer]

Apartheid and racial discrimination is still very alive, but the shoe is now on the other foot!