FF Plus declares war against transformation and launches a campaign against affirmative action and black economic empowerment

The Freedom Front Plus today declared war against transformation in the form of affirmative action and black economic empowerment (BEE) after President Jacob Zuma, in a reply to a question in Parliament of the FF Plus, declared that he does not know of any victims who have been affected by these policies.

He invited the opposition to bring cases of discrimination to his attention.

"The FF Plus is launching a campaign through which all people who have been negatively affected by affirmative action and black economic empowerment are asked to sign a petition and to tell their stories of the injustice of a policy which has reduced them to second-class citizens."

"The ANC can no longer maintain this discriminating practice and this is a real opportunity to bring it to the attention of the government and in so doing, start with the scrapping of the policy," Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus' parliamentary spokesperson on economic affairs said.

"The acknowledgement by the president, that no information or research exists on the effect of transformation, is proof that the policy is supported by poor research and is therefore irrational. This makes the policy challengeable in our courts."

If the government does not want to recognise the damage the policy of transformation creates, the courts and international forums, such as the UN, will be approached.

The FF Plus will also at a later date ask partners in the European Parliament to institute sanctions, if need be. The time for socio-economic discrimination against white and brown people has past," Alberts says.

He also says that ANC members in parliamentary committees privately acknowledge that they are increasingly becoming uncomfortable with the continued discrimination against white people.

"This is therefore an opportunity for people who have personally experienced discrimination, to make their voices heard. The FF Plus will announce next week where people can sign the petition against discrimination and where they can relate the story of their own personal experiences."

"This will be handed to the president, as well as to the two parliamentary committees, i.e. the labour committee and trade and industry committee which, respectively, have oversight over affirmative action and BEE, to get the conversation started about the ending of this discriminatory policy."

"The war against transformation has now started," Alberts said.

Statement issued by Adv. Anton Alberts, FF Plus Parliamentary Spokesperson: Economic Affairs, March 20 2013

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