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2d ago

South Africa’s DA Challenges Employment Equity Law in Court Over Racial Hiring Targets

The Democratic Alliance argues the law imposes unconstitutional quotas, while the ANC defends it as a necessary step to address apartheid-era inequalities.

FILE - Workers advertise their skills looking for work outside a hardware store in a Johannesburg suburb, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)
The Hillbrow Tower, an iconic tower used to identify the Johannesburg skyline, is seen as the sun rises, in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 20, 2019. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

Overview

  • The Democratic Alliance (DA) began legal proceedings at the North Gauteng High Court to overturn the Employment Equity Amendment Act on May 6, 2025.
  • The law mandates companies with over 50 employees to meet sector-specific hiring targets for non-white people, women, and disabled individuals or face penalties.
  • The DA claims the law enforces rigid quotas, violates constitutional principles, and could deter investment while exacerbating unemployment.
  • The African National Congress (ANC) argues the legislation is essential to correcting structural imbalances caused by apartheid, citing persistent racial disparities in corporate leadership and employment.
  • The U.S. government, under President Trump, has criticized the law as discriminatory, linking it to aid cuts and offering relocation support to South Africa’s Afrikaner minority.