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The Presidency has dismissed trade union Solidarity’s campaign to protest the ANC government’s “racial” policies as “the work of a tiny right-wing minority\u201d as South Africa prepares to host the G20 Leader’s Summit this month.<\/span><\/p>\n By yesterday large-scale billboards and banners with “Welcome to the most race-regulated country in the world’ appeared on some of Johannesburg’s main roads, with Solidarity saying their campaign is designed to coincide with the high-profile summit, aiming to leverage the global spotlight on South Africa to highlight issues of racial injustice, economic decline, and governance failures.<\/span><\/p>\n Ramaphosa\u2019s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, dismissed Solidarity\u2019s actions as the work of a \u201ctiny right-wing minority\u201d and described the campaign as \u201cunimportant and mindless”.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Solidarity remains steadfast in its determination to draw international attention to what it labels the country’s “race madness”.<\/span><\/p>\n It said it would also directly engage with the embassies of G20 countries. <\/span><\/p>\n Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), responded to Magwenya\u2019s comments, stating, \u201cUnfortunately, this is necessary. <\/span><\/p>\n “The eyes of the world are currently on South Africa and the South African government, whose actions are increasingly under suspicion worldwide.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Solidarity campaign is structured around several key actions:<\/span><\/p>\n Mulder emphasised the timing of the campaign, stating, \u201cThe G20 summit is here, and cosmetic resurfacing of Gauteng\u2019s main routes is not going to cover up the bigger cracks in our society. In addition to the municipal decline, there is still corruption, unemployment and poverty, and of course the fact that South Africa is the most racially regulated country in the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The union\u2019s actions particularly focus on racial injustice, which they argue significantly impacts the labour market and contributes to the country\u2019s economic woes.<\/span><\/p>\n ANC spokesperson Mahlengu Bhengu did not respond to questions on Monday.<\/p>\n Political analysts suggest that Solidarity\u2019s campaign, while condemned by the government, strategically uses the G20 Summit to amplify its message on an international stage. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHosting the G20 presents both an opportunity and a risk for the host nation,\u201d said Dr. Sipho Dlamini. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOn one hand, it\u2019s a chance to showcase economic progress and stability. On the other, it provides a platform for dissenting voices to garner international attention, which is precisely what Solidarity is doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dlamini said that government\u2019s reaction can be a double-edged sword.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhile it\u2019s meant to delegitimise Solidarity, it also inadvertently draws more attention to their claims. By calling them \u2018unimportant,\u2019 the government risks making them seem more significant to an international audience seeking to understand the complexities of South African society.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Economist Professor Linda Nxumalo added that the campaign\u2019s focus on the economic impact of racial policies resonates with broader concerns. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of political affiliation, the issues of unemployment, poverty, and corruption are undeniable. If racial regulations are perceived to be exacerbating these problems, then it becomes a serious point of discussion, especially when foreign investors and trading partners are observing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Presidency has dismissed trade union Solidarity’s campaign to protest the ANC government’s “racial” policies as “the work of a tiny right-wing minority\u201d as South Africa prepares to host the G20 Leader’s Summit this month. By yesterday large-scale billboards and banners with “Welcome to the most race-regulated country in the world’ appeared on some of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":260401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[19620,19622,444,19621,12564,19623,2276,17307,1037,17909,1281],"class_list":["post-260400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politics","tag-039race","tag-039tiny","tag-ahead","tag-campaign039","tag-g20","tag-minority039","tag-presidency","tag-rightwing","tag-slams","tag-solidarity039s","tag-work"],"yoast_head":"\n\n