Beyond race?: Exploring indicators of (dis)advantage to achieve South Africa’s equity goals

Since South Africa’s transition to democracy in 1994, it has been among the principal goals of government to guarantee the right of equality for all citizens, and actively deconstruct the systemic inequalities entrenched by the apartheid government. Given that rights, participation and access were differentially meted out to each of the ‘population groups’, attempts to reverse these effects have largely been along racial lines through programmes such as employment equity and black economic empowerment. However, critics argue that the continued use of apartheid race categories, even for purposes of redress, has prolonged and deepened racial prejudice and discrimination. Following on a colloquium held at Wits University in October of 2010, this article explores prospects for new indicators in equity decision-making, drawing on the results of the SA Reconciliation Barometer survey conducted by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation.