African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee member Andile Lungisa has launched a scathing attack on the Democratic Alliance (DA), accusing the party of undermining South Africa’s transformation agenda through its legal challenge to the amended Employment Equity Act.
The DA has taken the government to court over recent changes to the Act, arguing that the new race-based employment targets are unconstitutional and discriminatory. But Lungisa dismissed the challenge as a “thinly veiled attempt to protect privilege and stall progress.”
“This is not a legal battle—it’s a political one,” said Lungisa. “The DA’s actions are a direct attack on the hard-fought transformation gains of our democracy.”
The controversial amendments introduce sector-specific numerical targets aimed at accelerating the representation of historically disadvantaged groups in the workplace. The DA contends that the amendments enforce rigid quotas and could entrench racial discrimination, while the ANC views them as necessary tools to dismantle systemic inequality.
Lungisa accused the DA of using the courts to reverse what Parliament has already approved, framing their legal challenge as part of a broader agenda to preserve white economic dominance.
A Divided National Debate
The legal showdown has reignited fierce national debate over the balance between redress and merit, with business groups, labour unions, and civil society weighing in. Supporters of the amendments say transformation is non-negotiable in a country still grappling with racial inequality. Critics warn that the new rules could damage productivity and scare off investors.
What’s Next?
As the case proceeds through the courts, the political battle over economic justice and workplace equity is expected to intensify ahead of the national elections. Both the ANC and DA are using the issue to rally their bases—making transformation not just a policy fight, but a central theme in the country’s political future.
