Solidarity at the ready with clenched fists in 2025!

By Ané Janse van Rensburg

Solidarity’s fight for justice continues on several fronts in 2025. From job opportunities protected from discriminatory racial policies to the fight against the government’s controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) and the BELA Act, Solidarity once again proves that it is unwavering in its mission to protect the rights of its members and the Afrikaner community.

A stand against racial discrimination

One of Solidarity’s most major campaigns this year focuses on the fight against racial targeting and reverse discrimination. Solidarity’s race report, which exposes discrimination and racial bias in the labour market, was taken to the United States to raise international awareness. This report exposes government policies that unfairly discriminate against minority groups and confirms that Solidarity is prepared to take this fight to a global platform.

Furthermore, Solidarity has taken a strong stance against the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC’s) “shameless racial reversal”. Solidarity labels this commission’s proposals as a direct attack on fairness. Solidarity continues to apply sustained pressure to ensure that merit and equal opportunities are favoured over race-driven policies.

Solidarity also assists individuals who have been victims of unfair racial discrimination. A good example is the case of Alwyn Erasmus versus Eskom. Erasmus, a white man with 30-years’ experience, was not considered for a management position at Eskom simply because of his skin colour and despite being the most suitable candidate. Solidarity represented him in the Labour Court, and the court ruled that Eskom’s racial policy violated Erasmus’ rights and that Eskom had to pay him 18 months’ salary as compensation. This ruling is an important victory against inflexible affirmative action, and Solidarity plans further actions to eradicate such discrimination.

An obstacle for the NHI

The government’s NHI plan poses a serious threat to South Africans’ right to quality healthcare. While Solidarity acknowledges that certain compromises have been proposed for the NHI, the organisation also made it clear that this is still not acceptable. The NHI, as it is currently planned, will weaken healthcare in South Africa and turn it into a bureaucratic nightmare. Solidarity is actively fighting this legislation through legal action and public awareness and is ready to go to court if the NHI is implemented.

Solidarity already filed court papers against the National Health Insurance (NHI) in May 2024, claiming that the NHI is financially unfeasible and impracticable. Other organisations such as the Hospital Association of South Africa (Hasa) are now joining the fight. Theuns du Buisson, an economic researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), emphasises that the government is still not disclosing the actual cost or implementation plan of the NHI, which suggests that the system is doomed to failure. Solidarity and Hasa argue that the NHI will reduce access to quality healthcare, and that it would be extremely unwise to dismantle a functional system for the sake of a less efficient one.

The fight against BELA

The Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA) is another serious threat to community-based schools, and specifically to Afrikaans schools. Solidarity has already taken a strong stance against this Act and mobilised schools, parents and communities to show their opposition to it. Bela will severely restrict the rights of schools to determine their own language and admission policies. Solidarity has made it clear that this fight is far from over and that every possible route will be used to stop this legislation.

Solidarity clearly shows that this organisation does not shy away from challenges. Whether in court, on international platforms or in parliamentary committees, Solidarity fights with clenched fists for its members and the Afrikaner community. With a continued commitment to justice and self-reliance, Solidarity remains the bastion for rights and freedoms in a landscape where these principles are increasingly coming under threat.

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