Dear Friend of the IRR,

Non-racialism is a founding provision of the Constitution. Why, then, do the government and other institutions still ask us to classify ourselves and others by race?

The parties of the recently constituted Government of National Unity (GNU) have publicly committed themselves to a non-racial South Africa. We urge them to honour this commitment by ending racial classification.

Even if ending racial classification completely is too radical for the GNU, it should reduce the salience of race by replacing failed race-based policies like BEE with non-racial alternatives like the IRR's Economic Empowerment for the Disadvantaged (EED).

Race is an important part of many South Africans’ identities, and this must be respected. However, the government needs to stop viewing South Africans through a racial lens, especially when writing laws and policies. Only then can we build a truly non-racial South Africa.

We continue to argue fearlessly for non-racialism in the media. Read our regular media appearances on our website. For even more news and analysis, check out the IRR's online newspaper, the Daily Friend, or watch the Daily Friend Show every weekday on YouTube.

Live Free. Prosper.