By Nellie Peyton and Siyanda Mthethwa
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance party went to court on Tuesday to challenge new employment equity legislation which sets out numerical targets for the number of non-white people that companies should employ.
The pro-business DA, the second-biggest party in government, says the new law violates anti-discrimination clauses in the constitution and gives the state too much regulatory power.
Its larger coalition partner, the African National Congress, says the DA is trying to “preserve the apartheid-era economic status quo” and thwart its efforts to correct racial imbalances in the workplace that are apartheid’s legacy.
Statistics show that South Africa’s companies are still dominated by white people at the top, with Black employees mainly occupying lower-level roles. Unemployment is much higher among Black citizens.
Lawyers for the two sides made their opening arguments on Tuesday at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
“This case is about flexibility,” said DA lawyer
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