As South Africa prepares to commemorate Human Rights Day, Free SA is calling for urgent action to uphold non-racialism as a foundational principle of the Constitution, rather than allowing it to be reduced to mere rhetoric.
In its latest report, Non-Racialism: Empty Filler or Constitutional Cornerstone?, Free SA highlights how racial classification and race-based policies continue to divide the country, contradicting the promise of a truly free and equal South Africa envisioned in 1994. Despite constitutional protections against racial discrimination, the government persists in enforcing racial categorisations in employment, education, and economic policies, perpetuating division rather than fostering unity.
“Non-racialism was meant to be the bedrock of our democracy, yet it has been steadily eroded by policies that continue to box people into racial categories,” said Reuben Coetzer, spokesperson for Free SA. “True equality cannot be achieved through race-based policies that prioritise identity over individual merit and potential.”
A Call for Policy Reform and True Equality
The report underscores the dangers of continued racial classification and calls on policymakers to implement reforms that embrace genuine non-racialism. These include:
- Ending race-based policies that reinforce division instead of promoting individual opportunity.
- Ensuring government policies uphold constitutional non-racialism rather than contradicting it.
- Shifting focus to socio-economic upliftment based on need, not racial categorisation.
“South Africa’s future should be built on unity, not on policies that keep us trapped in the past,” Coetzer added. “We urge the government to respect the Constitution in both word and action, and to ensure that non-racialism is not just an empty phrase but a lived reality for all citizens.”
Free SA is calling on all South Africans to stand up for a truly non-racial future and demand that government policies reflect the constitutional commitment to equal rights, freedom, and dignity for all.
The report can be downloaded for free here.
