(a) On the 18th June 2008 the South African Constitutional Court ruled that South African Chinese people fall within the ambit of the definition of “black people”, in the Employment Equity Act, and the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Act. The Chinese people were declared "Coloured", under the apartheid regime, and Japanese people had “honorary white” status. Why can’t Chinese people currently be grouped under Indian/Asian criteria?
(b) Also, if a “black” person from another African country becomes a South African citizen after a few (5) years, that person will obviously tick the Black African block when applying for a state job. This means that in applying for a job, foreigners will find themselves at the front of the queue, ahead of non-black South Africans.
Download the Chinese Black Court Ruling. (ChineseBlackCourtRuling.pdf )
Self-classification is your constitutional right. If all South Africans tick the AFRICAN block, the government will not get the statistical information it needs to determine whom to discriminate against. If you do not fill in the race classification blocks, according to your “true racial lineage”, the authorities have no legal right to deny you your choice, because there is currently no law under which you could be prosecuted for so doing. They also have NO RIGHT to alter your choice at their discretion because you have the RIGHT, and FREEDOM OF CHOICE, which group you want to be associated with, and what identity you wish to assume. A person should get a job based on his competence and qualifications, not because of the colour of his skin. It is unfair to expect, from people born in the post-apartheid era, that they should take responsibility for what has happened in the past, and be punished for it!
Download the Z83 state job application form Z83.pdf
There are coloured people who look like white people; white people who look like coloured people; coloured people who look like black people, and black people who look like coloured people! There is no “pure” race in the world, we are all mixed. It is not possible meaningfully, scientifically, to differentiate, to classify, people on the basis of their skin pigmentation. The word “Coloured”, for instance, was used by the apartheid government to describe people who could not be accommodated within their divisive pigmentary definitions. People should conduct themselves in such a way that their behaviour, attitudes and lifestyles are acceptable to everyone. Watch the movie "SKIN", it is based on the true life-story of Sandra Laing, and you will see the destructive effects race classification had on her during apartheid. No single person can claim the right to talk on behalf of ALL the people of his or her race group. Stop referring to people as “Coloureds”, “Indians”, “Blacks” or “Whites”. Times have changed!
Today people from mixed races marry each other. What is the race of their children? Is race labelling necessary? The Education Department encourages innocent children to apply racial stereotypes, through registering them according to race group on their school databases (CEMIS). Tertiary institutions use race classification data, to confer on those who qualify, preferential treatment in the matters of course enrolment and bursaries. Bursaries awarded to students should not be based on race!
Download the Education Department's Learner Registration form CEMIS.doc
Government measures the economic progress our country makes according to the progress made by certain race groups only. This is wrong! Government should use a socio-economic barometer to determine how many people still need jobs; how many still live under the breadline; the living-standards of people; education levels; etc. Government doesn’t need to know how many members of a specific race group live in the various residential areas. Quality services should be provided to everyone. If we address poverty, inequality will take care of itself. We should do away with the generally accepted LABELLING, which implies that each of us belongs to a distinct race group.