There is no justification for discriminating against people based upon the colour of their skin. No country should understand this better than South Africa and this is why non-racialism is a founding provision of the South African Constitution.
Unfortunately, South Africa has lost its way. We continue to use race to make life changing decisions about every citizen. This is clearly wrong.
For example, in South Africa today an impoverished white person living in a squatter camp is classified as being advantaged, whilst a black multi-millionaire living in a luxury villa is classified as being disadvantaged.
The legal basis for these injustices is found in section 9 of the Constitution, the section on equality.
Section 9 allows the state to take actions to advance persons or categories of persons who have previously been unfairly discriminated against.
We propose that this section be amended.
We recognise that many people have suffered under race-based policy in the past, and that as a result they have been disadvantaged. The state can and should address this but without repeating similar injustices and carrying the consequences over to yet another generation. Non-racialism must mean non-racialism.
We believe the state should focus on providing the services needed to create real equality such as: high quality education, employment opportunities, and encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship.
Where people are still disadvantaged and the state seeks to help, the state should do so based upon each individual person’s need, not their race.