The civil rights organisation AfriForum made progress this week in its case against racial discrimination in school netball when five parents whose children had been disadvantaged by Netball South Africa (NSA) agreed to be part of AfriForum’s court case at the International Netball Federation (INF).
The INF informed AfriForum on 13 November that AfriForum could only appeal to its disciplinary and dispute settlement regulations if the civil rights organisation could identify the person/persons who fall within the jurisdiction of INF and on whose behalf the complaint is laid.
AfriForum decided to lay a complaint with the INF after blatant racial discrimination had occurred during the 2019 Gauteng school netball trials. AfriForum has sound evidence that quotas were applied and that almost 40 high school learners lost their place in teams as a result of racial quotas. In the organisation’s second letter to the INF, AfriForum lists the names of the parents who are willing to make their names known so that the case can be investigated.
“AfriForum feels that evidence points to at least a prima facie case against NSA of violating the statutes and regulations of the INF. Because AfriForum is now supported in the case by five parents, we believe that the federation will refer AfriForum’s complaint to the disciplinary panel,” says Ernst van Zyl, Campaign Officer for strategy and content at AfriForum.
“Racial discrimination affects athletes of all races. This was once again proven when the Mpumalanga Sunbirds, who competed in the Telkom Netball League, had to forfeit their match in the first division B semi-finals because it had too many black players in the field. This strengthens AfriForum’s case against the unfairness of racial quotas,” Van Zyl concludes.