The trade union and civil rights organisations spoke to reporters in Pretoria about their plans to challenge the SA Rugby Union's transformation policy in the labour court.

"Minister Mbalula's drastic steps amount to nothing but unfair labour practice," Solidarity chief executive, Dirk Hermann, said.

"By no manner of means do the Employment Equity Act and the National Sport and Recreation Act make provision for government interference in the selection of players for teams. This is exactly what the minister is now doing, and as civil society we simply cannot allow this to happen."

The National Sport and Recreation Act prohibited Mbalula from interfering in the selection of sport teams, Hermann said.

They wanted the court to set aside the South African Rugby Union (Saru) Strategic Transformation Plan and the Transformation Charter for South African Sport, which contained government's transformation targets for sport.

Mbalula announced in April that he was banning Saru, Athletics SA, Cricket SA, and Netball SA from bidding for or hosting any major international tournaments as they had not achieved their transformation targets.

In addition to court action, both organisations intended lodging complaints against quotas in sport with the United Nations, various sporting bodies, and the International Labour Organisation.

The complaints would include a request for an investigation into each individual sports union’s targets for affirmative action, as outlined in their respective affirmative action plans.

- News24.com